title: Building knowledge of health care as a system.
abstract: A system is a functionally related group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a complex whole with a common aim. This article presents a method--a 10-step exercise--for building knowledge of the elements of an interdependent system of health care. Those who seek to improve the work of a system can use this exercise for designing and relating new improvement efforts to the general work of the organization.
authors.affiliation: Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH, USA.
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Batalden
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mohr
mesh_terms: D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D017146:Models, Organizational; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D011357:Product Line Management; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D013597:Systems Analysis; D018511:Systems Integration; D014481:United States