Frectally speaking

Healthcare Change & the way forward

Having begun by identifying that healthcare systems are under pressure to change, at a number of differing levels, we highlighted the complexity of the related changes that are now required.

As complexity is such a recurrent feature of diverse fields such as healthcare, management and information technology, we have briefly explored the important complex systems science.
In addition we have identified the useful role of the Cynefin framework as a means to better understand the varied chaotic/complex/complicated and simple challenges that span these varied fields.

We have then looked in more detail at this thing called change, seeking important patterns that emerge when attempting change. Those patterns relate to people, process, information, technology, standards and value.

While the interplay between all these elements is critical in successful change, we have further focussed on the join between process improvement methodologies and information technology as a particularly challenging area.

That tour away from healthcare, now allows us to return, to look in particular at those elements needed for the successful progress of healthcare reform.

We will explore these in some depth, coming to the related conclusion that several key challenges required related support from healthcare informatics.

• Healthcare change: the ingredients needed.
• Healthcare: needs better Information-Technology
• Healthcare: chasing the right fit between Process and IT..
• Healthcare: openEHR’s potential to handle Complexity & Diversity
• Healthcare change: why “Open Source” is part of the recipe..