Introductory Publications

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• An Introduction to Complex Systems Thinking in Health: This paper defines ten fundamental concepts of CST, including mental models, emergence, and feedback loops.

• The application of systems thinking in health: why use systems thinking?: Here Peters explores the value of CST and provides definitions of various applicable theories, tools, and methods.

• Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century, Appendix B: This appendix provides a solid introduction by describing CST at greater length and illustrating how it aids decision-making in arenas of uncertainty.

• Understanding pathways for scaling up health services through the lens of complex adaptive systems: Dr. Paina and Dr. Peters contend that failure to adequately scale up health services in the developing world is a product of our overly simplistic approach, and that complex adaptive systems science offers a more effective approach.

• Learning from Evidence in a Complex World: Dr. Sterman explains how systems thinking can aid our understanding of why our attempts to solve complex problems too often lead to unintended consequences, and how to shift our thinking toward solutions that are more effective and lasting.

• Systems Thinking for Health Systems Strengthening: This publication by the WHO provides an overview  of the field.

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Medicine and Healthcare

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• Forum on Systems and Complexity in Medicine and Healthcare: This forum from the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice is an impressive collection of over 50 articles spanning 4 years that explore the intersection of complexity and health from a number of varied perspectives ranging from healthcare reform to health promotion. The link leads to the first article; to our knowledge, there is no portal or introductory page.

• Complexity in Health and Health Care Systems: This series in Social Science & Medicine explores the complexity of health and current healthcare systems. It begins with article 24 and continues through article 32.

• The Affordable Care Act: a case study for understanding and applying complexity concepts to health care reform: A paper that applies CST concepts, including creating a shared vision, facilitating an environment for emergence, and encouraging transformational leadership, to America’s current healthcare reform debate.

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Public Health

 

• American Journal of Public Health Series on Systems Thinking in Public Health: This series explores the successes, challenges, and potential of systems thinking applications in public health. Scroll down to “Editor’s Choice.”

• Systems Science Applications in Health Promotion and Public Health: This series from Health Education & Behavior discusses the application of systems sciences to current public health and health promotion issues.

• Using Systems Science in Obesity Research: The American Journal of Public Health brings a collection of articles applying systems thinking to various aspects of obesity research. Scroll down to heading “Using Systems Science in Obesity Research."

• Navigating complexity in public health research: This BMC Public Health supplement presents research on complex adaptive systems, focusing on research in women’s health in culturally diverse, contemporary Australian society.

• Interdisciplinarity and systems science to improve population health: a view from the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research: This article illustrates the NIH’s recognition of systems science as a key pillar to achieving better health.

• Applied social and behavioral science to address complex health problems: This paper advocates for a paradigm shift in both research and education in order to make research more relevant to practical translation.

• Greater than the Sum: Systems Thinking in Tobacco Control, Chapters 3 and 4: Published by the National Cancer Institute, these chapters specifically discuss the history and theory of CST, as well as its application in tobacco control.  

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Global Health

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• Systems thinking for health systems strengthening in LMICs: seizing the opportunity: This series from Health Policy and Planning addresses the untapped potential of systems thinking in low- and middle-income countries.

• Rethinking health systems strengthening: key systems thinking tools and strategies for transformational change: This paper illustrates how CST principles such as collaboration across disciplines, ongoing iterative learning, and transformational leadership can ultimately transform practice, health education, research, and policy.

• Advancing the application of systems thinking in health: This series from Health Research Policy and Systems concentrates on actual health applications of systems thinking in places as diverse as China, Pakistan, and Uganda.

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*Adapted from “Complexity and Systems Sciences journal series” on the suggested reading of ST4C Health.