Contemporary Research in Complex Adaptive Systems and Innovation
Health preservation remains integral to the thriving of individuals and communities. In an ever-changing healthcare landscape, where many players are drawn and role divergence predominates, maintaining objectivity in caring, healing, and disease prevention is key. However, the complexity of healthcare systems sometimes presents considerable strains to the efforts targeted at health promotion. Players within the healthcare landscape should maintain adaptability to be effective in their roles: Contemporary Research in Complex Adaptive Systems and Innovation.
As a complex adaptive system (CAS), the dynamic networks and elements of the contemporary care environment must interact and influence each other in a non-linear manner to ensure effective and efficient care delivery (Ahmad et al., 2024). The CAS framework, in this respect, challenges individual assumptions on their space in healthcare and focuses on building meaningful relationships, thus fostering efficient and effective healthcare operationalization. This paper synthesizes three sources on systems thinking and innovation in healthcare.
Article Analysis
The selected article analyzes contemporary healthcare systems to establish factors interplaying in their operationalizations. Several articles were located and scrutinized for their authority in providing information on systems thinking and innovations in healthcare. The analysis process was based on the three most relevant articles.
There is a consensual finding that the healthcare system operates as a complex adaptive system. The article by Glover et al. (2020) examined innovations in hospital units through the lens of CAS. The research utilized the quantitative study design on 31 hospital units. It attempted to ascertain how the CAS factors of performance orientation and autonomy moderate the relationship between innovation and unit complexity.
The article revealed an association between higher innovation performance and unit complexity, especially when autonomy was low. Higher innovation performance was also apparent when the performance orientation was high. These findings demonstrated that low autonomy rather than high autonomy is linked to organizational innovations. Likewise, higher performance orientation directly correlates to high innovation performance.
This means that care organizations with higher unit complexity can best achieve higher innovation scores with less autonomy. Allowing healthcare staff members to have extreme freedoms and the liberty to determine and dictate their tasks may result in a chaotic environment and loss of objectivity, diminishing innovations and performance (Glover et al., 2020). It is thus important that the freedom of healthcare providers is curtailed and their roles defined to allow seamless operationalization.
The article by Thelen et al. (2023) aimed to develop a framework for identifying the characteristics of systems thinking in the design and implementation of progressive actions to promote health. The article utilized a literature review to adopt a systems thinking approach for the health action framework, which was then tested through case studies. Several key characteristics of systems thinking were yielded from the literature. This included identification and understanding of feedback, identification of leverage points, recognition systems structure and interconnectedness, and acknowledging dynamic behavior, among others.
These characteristics formed the health actions framework. The framework was beneficial in identifying the characteristics of systems thinking in the COVID-19 national health response in Pakistan. The research highlighted the significance of integrating system thinking when designing and implementing various health interventions (Thelen et al., 2023). In the pursuit of better community health, this approach can be used to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare interventions such as preventive care and community education through outreach programs.
The article by Linnéusson et al. (2022), interrogated the effectiveness of systems thinking in enhancing the understanding of various innovation systems within healthcare organizations. The study analyzed a healthcare organization that shifted from having minimal innovations to being innovative. It utilized the systems dynamic methodology to identify key aspects of the organization that contributed to the innovation inertia. Systems thinking resulted in the identification of several factors continuing to innovate in healthcare.
These included leadership values, expansions of employees’ myopic views, bottom-up initiative advocacy, external innovation affirmation, and nurturing of sustainable organizational structures. The study provided insights into the significance of systems thinking in enhancing understanding of healthcare innovations (Linnéusson et al., 2022). Through systems thinking, healthcare professionals, leaders, and administrators can understand specific factors in innovation growth.
The article significantly contributed to the understanding of systems in healthcare. The healthcare system, unlike other economic sectors, is unique in how its systems relate. Whereas each system in healthcare maintains some level of independence, their success is pegged on the value of other systems and their ability to interrelate with others for the common objective of patient care.
In a dynamic landscape, where many players are drawn, a point of convergence exists in the need to elevate and optimize health outcomes (Ahmad et al., 2024). This means each system must demonstrate non-linear existence for health improvement.
Research with Roots in Theoretical Models Discussed in Part 1
The theoretical models discussed in part 1 included learning organization theory and systems model of change. There is a nexus between the article by Thelen et al. (2023) and the theoretical model discussed in the first section. The article by Thelen et al. (2023) highlights the normative characteristics of systems thinking and how they can be leveraged in understanding organizational dynamics. The highlighted characteristics can be traced back to the six interconnected elements that underline the systems model of change.
Foremost, the components of the systems model of change are people, design, structure, task, technology, and culture. The framework highlighted in the article adopts some of the elements. It identifies structure as a vital component of an organization that is integral to understanding health actions. Likewise, it gives weight to understanding dynamic behavior.
This concurs with the element of a person who notes that people are different and that their behaviors are unique and ever-changing. The framework also recognizes the identification of leverage points. Identifying leverage points is a key component of strategy and design highlighted in the system change model.
How Findings Apply to Problem-Solving, Effecting Change, and Fostering Innovation in Health Care Organizations
Research findings highlight the significance of systems thinking in healthcare operationalizations. Systems thinking provides a holistic approach to viewing healthcare organizations. In this case, it necessitates interrogation of how individual components are interconnected and how one aspect of the systems may influence others. These provisions can be integrated into the problem-solving processes for apparent healthcare challenges encountered in healthcare organizations.
Viewing a challenging clinical problem through a system thinking approach can enable the identification of any faults that may have been affecting one of the players and, therefore, resulting in the predicament. Likewise, systems thinking facilitates successful change processes and innovations as they allow change managers and healthcare leaders to analyze healthcare systems comprehensively.
This will allow them to identify improvement areas, organizational strengths and weaknesses, and areas to emphasize to create a buy-in into the change process. Likewise, system thinking can also reinforce the interconnectedness of systems. This will inform the need for collaborative approaches and the significance of drawing all players into various change processes.
Healthcare organizations operate as complex adaptive systems. In the pursuit of meaningful health improvement, leveraging systems thinking can be necessary to enhance the effectiveness of various health actions. As demonstrated by literature, systems thinking facilitates a better understanding of the elements contributing to organizational operability. It is thus important that change managers and health leaders integrate the systems thinking approach to produce a positive impact on the organizations they serve.
References
Ahmad, M. A., Baryannis, G., & Hill, R. (2024). Defining complex adaptive systems: An algorithmic approach. Systems, 12(2), 45. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12020045
Glover, W. J., Nissinboim, N., & Naveh, E. (2020). Examining innovation in hospital units: A Complex Adaptive Systems Approach. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05403-2
Linnéusson, G., Andersson, T., Kjellsdotter, A., & Holmén, M. (2022). Using systems thinking to increase understanding of the innovation system of healthcare organizations. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 36(9), 179–195. https://doi.org/10.1108/jhom-01-2022-0004
Thelen, J., Sant Fruchtman, C., Bilal, M., Gabaake, K., Iqbal, S., Keakabetse, T., Kwamie, A., Mokalake, E., Mupara, L. M., Seitio-Kgokgwe, O., Zafar, S., & Cobos Muñoz, D. (2023). Development of the systems thinking for health actions framework: A literature review and a case study. BMJ Global Health, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2022-010191
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Question 
Upon completion of this second of three parts to your Integrative Paper, you will have completed a synthesis and critical evaluation of contemporary research in complex adaptive systems (CAS) and innovation. You will have also explained how the systems theories presented in Part 1 of your paper help to explain the CAS in health care.
Read the Integrative Paper Guidelines (ATTACHED) to prepare you for this second of three assignments during this course.
Locate 3 scholarly, peer-reviewed articles on systems thinking and/or innovation in the University Library. All articles must meet the following criteria:
- Reports of original research or systematic reviews
- Published within the past 5 years
- Setting or focus in health care organizations
Contemporary Research in Complex Adaptive Systems and Innovation
Write a 1,050- to 1,225-word paper in which you do the following:
- Critically analyze the research reported in the articles, with a focus on the research problems, major factors explored, key results, and significant contributions to your understanding of systems in health care.
- Identify and discuss any research with roots in the theories or conceptual models discussed in Part 1 of your Integrative Paper.
- Analyze how findings from this research apply to problem-solving, effecting change, and fostering innovation in health care organizations. Use the health care organization you profiled in Week 1 as an example.
Note: This paper will become the “Depth” section of your final integrative paper.
Note: Your description and critical analysis should be a synthesized, cohesive, and integrated discussion of the research and not an article-by-article report.
Support your descriptions and analysis with references to 3 credible sources.
Format your paper according to APA 7th edition guidelines.