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“If the Facts Don’t Fit the Theory, Change the Theory”: Implications for Health System Reform

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The Value of Systems and Complexity Sciences for Healthcare

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Abstract

Health systems have all the hallmarks of complex adaptive systems, they organise around a common focus (core value), out of which arise simple rules (operating principles) whose constant application results in the dynamics of the system. Today’s health systems focus on the management of specific diseases and/or budgetary demands. These approaches fail to appreciate that people are complex adaptive systems living in complex adaptive environments. They constantly re-evaluate their health experiences (health, disease and somatisation) which arise from nature’s simple rules of the interconnected dynamics between inflammatory mediators, the adreno-cortical and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. These biological units of health are constantly perturbated by the effects of the social and physical environment including those of health professional ones. Reformed healthcare systems will have different simple rules which allow the emergence of a highly networked health system that provides seamless, fully integrated and coordinated care between all levels of care and across all levels of healthcare organisation.

I don’t blame anybody - they’re just doing what makes sense

and we have to change what makes sense. Don Berwick

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Practice, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, 3010, Wamberal, NSW, 2250, Australia

    Joachim P. Sturmberg

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Correspondence to Joachim P. Sturmberg .

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  1. Department of General Practice, Newcastle University, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia

    Joachim P. Sturmberg

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Sturmberg, J.P. (2016). “If the Facts Don’t Fit the Theory, Change the Theory”: Implications for Health System Reform. In: Sturmberg, J. (eds) The Value of Systems and Complexity Sciences for Healthcare. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26221-5_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26221-5_21

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-26221-5

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