The application of systems thinking in health: why use systems thinking?

Abstract

This paper explores the question of what systems thinking adds to the field of global health. Observing that elements of systems thinking are already common in public health research, the article discusses which of the large body of theories, methods, and tools associated with systems thinking are more useful. The paper reviews the origins of systems thinking, describing a range of the theories, methods, and tools. A common thread is the idea that the behavior of systems is governed by common principles that can be discovered and expressed. They each address problems of complexity, which is a frequent challenge in global health. The different methods and tools are suited to different types of inquiry and involve both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The paper concludes by emphasizing that explicit models used in systems thinking provide new opportunities to understand and continuously test and revise our understanding of the nature of things, including how to intervene to improve people’s health.

Self-Organization and Emergence in Global Health. Insights From Practice, Blind Spots and Possible Contributions From Complexity Science

“…There is a growing body of literature on systems thinking and complexity in health [11,12], sustainable development, and development assistance [8,23]. This trend is welcome and should help us move forward.…”

“…These questions have stimulated a growing body of literature on complexity and systems thinking in global health [11,12], which this paper adds to, to make three points: emergence and self-organization play an important role in achieving and sustaining global health results (section 2); global health is constrained in its capacity to discern these phenomena (section 3); finally, section 4 discusses a way forward, in terms complex systems research, and in terms of our cultural evolution.…”

Systems Thinking and Leadership

“…The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has proposed, iteratively, a comprehensive strategy to embrace continuous learning and improvement to help manage health care complexity (13). This mirrors the tenets of patient safety, with its emphasis on organizational learning (12)(13)(14)(15). Harnessing human and organizational capabilities that improve the reliability and efficiency of care processes can help manage multidimensional problems, like dialysis infections (13).…”

Effects of Coaching Rubrics on Pre-service Teacher Education for Curriculum Development: With Focus on the Promotion of Higher-Order Thinking Skills

“…Thinking tools can be defined as tools that "enable students to represent what they learned and know using different representational formalisms [26]" Thinking tools are used to engage students in higher-order thinking [27], and are used to facilitate a group of people to have common understanding about a certain issue or activity [28]. Thinking tools are also introduced in in-service teacher training courses in Japan [29], [30].…”