title: Health care applications of complexity science. Life at the edge of chaos.
abstract: The authors explore complexity science, a relatively new field of inquiry, which holds for both clinicians and health care leaders the real possibility of stimulating fresh insights and approaches to health and medical care-both its provision and its organization. Two case studies are presented to illustrate how complexity theory can provide health care leaders with a new perspective on how to address the myriad challenges they confront daily: (1) a patient with dissociative identity disorder; and (2) a physician task group charged to advise on hospital medical staff reorganization and governance. These case studies help clinicians and leaders of health care organizations understand how complexity: (1) may be relevant, even helpful, as they consider difficult challenges in both patient and organizational management; and (2) might emerge as a synthesizing force as they face the extraordinarily complicated task of jointly creating integrated health care systems. A resource section is provided for those who may wish to further pursue the topic.
authors.affiliation: Complexity Management, USA. clindber@vha.com
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lindberg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herzog
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Merry
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009105:Dissociative Identity Disorder / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007324:Institutional Management Teams; D007857:Leadership; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D008486:Physician Executives; D010934:Planning Techniques; D014481:United States