title: Putting it altogether: improving performance in heart failure outcomes, part 2.
abstract: As systems evolve over time, their natural tendency is to become increasingly more complex. Studies in the field of complex systems have generated new perspectives on management in social organizations such as hospitals. Much of this research appears as a natural extension of the cross-disciplinary field of systems theory. This is the 10th in a series of articles applying complex systems science to the traditional management concepts of planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and controlling. As follow-up to the case study in this column's June 2009 article, this article highlights the interventions and outcomes of the study.
authors.affiliation: Mercy Hospital, Iowa City, IA 52240, USA. tom.clancy@mercyic.org
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Clancy
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019985:Benchmarking / Q000458:organization & administration; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D019091:Critical Pathways / Q000458:organization & administration; D017709:Fractals; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016014:Linear Models; D015146:Midwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016311:Outliers, DRG / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011340:Problem Solving; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D013597:Systems Analysis; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*