Systems
A system is a set of interacting independent entities forming an integrated whole. In general, well functioning systems exhibit a purposeful design and provide products and services that are easily scalable.
Three core competencies have been identified by the Institute of Medicine as the fundamental building blocks of a competent health care system: Health Assessment, Policy Development, and Health Assurance. Together these constitute the 10 essential services of public health.
This framework provides a broad starting point to manage the complex challenges that are required to organize a well functioning health care system. A review of the domestic and global health care systems reveal that both contain substantial performance gaps that are concealed by their complexity. These gaps negatively impact the system, but represent opportunities for enhancement when we are able to embrace the multitude of connections constituting the whole and appreciate the impact of isolated changes across the entire network.
HSARC’s focus on analytic systems analysis helps to ensure that the appropriate scales are being considered when performing research and analysis in the health care sector. This attention to systems integration drives strategic innovations that result in sustained impacts on performance and efficiency.