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

Health Research Policy and Systems

David H Peters¹ 

[1] Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Room E8527, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA

关键词: Tools;    Theory;    Systems thinking;    Methods;    Complexity;    Complex adaptive systems;   

Others  :  1177326
DOI  :  10.1186/1478-4505-12-51

 received in 2014-05-23, accepted in 2014-08-18,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Peters; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

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