Abstract
Abstract Rationale: Our current global healthcare system is not
sustainable. It is structured based on the principles of reductionist
science which was discovered and developed over the past 400 – 600
years. Because of increasing pace of change and increasing complexity in
our world we have increased fragmentation in our healthcare system
leading to more harm and waste. Over 100 years ago, the principles of
systems, or complexity, science were discovered, first in the discipline
of physics. These principles accommodate the constant change and
biologic variability in our world. While reductionist principles would
be applicable in a static, mechanical world where parts of the system
could be isolated, this does not exist in the real biologic world.
Method: For the past decade, our abdominal wall hernia team has been
applying the principles of systems science to real patient care. Some of
the tools we have applied include continuous quality improvement for
whole hernia patient processes and non-linear analytical tools to gain
insight to improve value-based outcomes. Until we learn to apply and
scale these principles across our whole global healthcare system, we
will continue to suffer the consequences of our current unsustainable
system. Results: We have learned that the application of systems and
complexity science to real patient care can lead to lower costs and
better outcomes in the context of patients with complex hernia problems.
However, these concepts have not yet been adopted in our global
healthcare system. Conclusion: Applying the principles of systems and
complexity science to our global healthcare system has the potential to
lower costs and improve patient outcomes for any patient care process to
which it is applied.