The meaning of integrated care: a systems approach
Introduction: Organizations can be regarded as systems. The traditional model of systems views them as machines. This seems to be insufficient when it comes to understanding and organizing complex tasks. To better understand integrated care we should approach organizations as constantly changing liv...
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2008-10-01
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doaj-fcdcaeb68c6440dc9bf7b171ef662c242020-11-24T20:57:10ZengUbiquity PressInternational Journal of Integrated Care1568-41562008-10-0184256The meaning of integrated care: a systems approachLars EdgrenIntroduction: Organizations can be regarded as systems. The traditional model of systems views them as machines. This seems to be insufficient when it comes to understanding and organizing complex tasks. To better understand integrated care we should approach organizations as constantly changing living organisms, where many agents are interconnected in so-called Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS). <br><br> Theory and discussion: The term “complex” emphasizes that the necessary competence to perform a task is not owned by any one part, but comes as a result of co-operation within the system. “Adaptive” means that system change occurs through successive adaptations. A CAS consists of several subsystems called agents, which act in dependence of one another. Examples would be the ant-hill, the human immune defence, the financial market and the surgical operating theatre team. Studying a CAS, the focus is on the interaction and communication between agents. Although these thoughts are not new, the CAS-approach has not yet been widely applied to the management of integrated care. This helps the management to understand why the traditional top down way of managing, following the machine model thinking, may meet with problems in interdependent organizations with complex tasks. <br><br> Conclusion: When we perceive health and social services as CASs we should gain more insight into the processes that go on within and between organizations and how top management, for example within a hospital, in fact executes its steering function.http://www.ijic.org/index.php/ijic/article/view/256integrated carecomplexity sciencecomplex adaptive systemsself-organizationsuccessive adaptationcomplex tasks |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Lars Edgren |
spellingShingle |
Lars Edgren The meaning of integrated care: a systems approach International Journal of Integrated Care integrated care complexity science complex adaptive systems self-organization successive adaptation complex tasks |
author_facet |
Lars Edgren |
author_sort |
Lars Edgren |
title |
The meaning of integrated care: a systems approach |
title_short |
The meaning of integrated care: a systems approach |
title_full |
The meaning of integrated care: a systems approach |
title_fullStr |
The meaning of integrated care: a systems approach |
title_full_unstemmed |
The meaning of integrated care: a systems approach |
title_sort |
meaning of integrated care: a systems approach |
publisher |
Ubiquity Press |
series |
International Journal of Integrated Care |
issn |
1568-4156 |
publishDate |
2008-10-01 |
description |
Introduction: Organizations can be regarded as systems. The traditional model of systems views them as machines. This seems to be insufficient when it comes to understanding and organizing complex tasks. To better understand integrated care we should approach organizations as constantly changing living organisms, where many agents are interconnected in so-called Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS). <br><br> Theory and discussion: The term “complex” emphasizes that the necessary competence to perform a task is not owned by any one part, but comes as a result of co-operation within the system. “Adaptive” means that system change occurs through successive adaptations. A CAS consists of several subsystems called agents, which act in dependence of one another. Examples would be the ant-hill, the human immune defence, the financial market and the surgical operating theatre team. Studying a CAS, the focus is on the interaction and communication between agents. Although these thoughts are not new, the CAS-approach has not yet been widely applied to the management of integrated care. This helps the management to understand why the traditional top down way of managing, following the machine model thinking, may meet with problems in interdependent organizations with complex tasks. <br><br> Conclusion: When we perceive health and social services as CASs we should gain more insight into the processes that go on within and between organizations and how top management, for example within a hospital, in fact executes its steering function. |
topic |
integrated care complexity science complex adaptive systems self-organization successive adaptation complex tasks |
url |
http://www.ijic.org/index.php/ijic/article/view/256 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT larsedgren themeaningofintegratedcareasystemsapproach AT larsedgren meaningofintegratedcareasystemsapproach |
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