Patient safety in health systems has become more and more important
as a theme in health research, and so it is not surprising to see a
growing interest in applying systems thinking to healthcare.
However there is a difficulty - health systems are very complex and
constantly adapting to respond to core drivers and fit needs. How
do you apply systems thinking in this situation, and what methods
are available? National health authorities, international donors
and research practitioners need to know the "how-to" of conducting
health systems research from a systems thinking perspective. This
book will fill this gap and provide a range of tools that give
clear guidance of ways to carry out systems thinking in health,
with real-world examples. These methodologies include: * System
dynamics and causal loops * Network analysis * Outcome mapping *
Soft systems methodology And many more. Written by an international
team of experts in health research, this handbook will be essential
reading for those working in or researching public health, health
policy, health systems, global health, service improvement and
innovation in practice.. "For those working in the health sector,
the relevance and value of systems thinking as a concept is
evident. However, operationalization of this concept has been a
challenge. With this new book, health researchers have a detailed
guide for applying system thinking tools in day-to-day operations
to identify and solve issues related to health policy and systems."
Ghaffar Abdul, Executive Director of the Alliance for Health Policy
and Systems Research, Switzerland "This book is the first to
present practical options for applying systems thinking to
understand complexity in health systems. The editors compile an
essential collection of practical tools for understanding complex
problems and framing research questions, as well as for determining
and managing related solutions. Each tool is presented through an
accessible summary of the method and the theory upon which it is
based, as well as a real-world example. It will be a valuable
resource for teaching and practice." Ligia Paina, PhD, Assistant
Professor, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins
University, USA "This keenly-awaited book offers a lucid and
comprehensive discussion on how to research complex health systems.
Health systems are facing a rapid change and increased complexity,
with well-designed solutions often leading to unintended
consequences. The book provides invaluable help in navigating this
complexity and applying rigorous as well as pragmatic approaches to
capturing dynamic interactions between system elements and causal
loops. The authors operationalise systems thinking in an accessible
style, presenting a menu of sophisticated methods and tools, and
providing guidance on how to choose methods that fit the questions
asked. This and the examples of practical applications of each
method makes this book a key learning resource for health systems
researchers, commissioners of research, programme implementers and
equally, for any readers with interest in complex social systems."
Dina Balabanova, PhD, Associate Professor, Health Systems/Policy,
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK "Recognition
of the need to enhance health systems around the world, instead of
only focusing on diseases, has grown significantly over past decade
or more. Consequently, production of health policy and systems
related research also increased. However, going into an era of
Sustainable Development Goals, studying and understanding how the
national systems function from a systems perspective becomes even
more necessary to find adequate remedies or policy solutions. This
book will bring immense value to researchers and decision makers as
it provides guidance not on "what to do" but rather "how to do"
research from a systems thinking perspective. Systems thinking that
emphasizes the context, complexity, interconnectedness, and
adaptiveness of the health system resulting from feedback loops is
gaining more traction within the health systems research field.
Therefore, this book is timely to help equip individuals or
researchers with practical tools that are expected to empower the
field and facilitate greater and more relevant evidence production
for better policy making in health." George Gotsadze, Director,
Curatio International Foundation "To ensure that health system
research responds to policy priorities and to promote the use of
evidence in policy decisions, researchers and health system
managers should apply system thinking methods to address problems.
This methodological handbook includes variety of essential tools
and provides excellent guidance for health system researchers and
managers when investigating and resolving complex health systems
problems. Given the interconnectedness between health and other
systems, the application of the tools included in this handbook is
even more important when investigating health systems problems that
are linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)." Fadi
El-Jardali, Professor of Health Policy and Systems, American
University of Beirut, Lebanon
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