WEEK SIX DISCUSSION

"Complex Systems, Organizational Learning, and Improving the Quality of Care"

• Elaborate on the major reasons why, according to the text, health care systems can be considered complex. Next, argue a case for double-loop against single-loop learning in organizational learning. Support your response with at least one (1) example of the advantages of double-loop learning.

Complex Systems exhibit three defining characteristics. First, complex systems are richly interconnected. That is, system elements are connected in many different ways, and these connections vary in levels of responsiveness (Marion and Bacon, 2000). Some connections respond rapidly and strongly, some slowly and weakly, and some moderately in terms of timeliness and intensity. Management theories have long recognized that organizations are comprised of numerous, diverse, interdependent parts. Complexity theory suggests that organizations are more than simply open systems; they are” massively entangled systems (Begun, Zimmerman, and Dooley, 2003)

Second, complex systems are nonlinear (Stacey, 1995). Linear systems, output is directly proportional to its input, Small causes have small effects. Big causes have big effects. By contrast, in nonlinear systems, output is not directly proportional to its input. Small changes can produce big effects, small effects, or no effects at all, depending on the complex chain of cause-and-effect loops operating in the system. Nonlinearity, combined with dense interconnectedness makes the behavior of complex systems impossible to reliably predict.

Third, complex systems are dynamic, not only do systems have the capacity to change. But prior states can influence present events. Management theories are often criticized as discounting the importance of time and history (Pettigrew, 1985). Complexity theory suggests that a systems history cannot be ignored. The set of decisions one faces for any given circumstance is limited by the decisions one has made in the past, even when those past circumstances no longer exist.

These characteristics-interconnectedness, nonlinearity, and dynamism-make complex systems unpredictable and challenging to manage. Mangers can be caught off guard when seemingly small, incremental, local changes in one part of the organization rather quickly produce large, undesirable effects in other parts of the organization. Moderate changes in the standard operating procedures of the intensive care unit. For example, can quickly cascade into bed shortages in general nursing wards and disruptions in operating room schedules. Likewise, minor technical fixes in information systems to address patient registration problems can lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost billing, Contrary to our usual thinking, effects are not always proportional to causes, nor are causes and effects always closely linked in time and space.

Finally, compiled systems can adjust to wide variety of environmental conditions. In the language of complexity theory, they are robust, meaning that they resist perturbation or invasion by other systems (Marion and Bacon, 2000). Health care organizations have exhibited a remarkable ability to adjust amen managed care) and slower, cumulative changes in operating conditions (Begun and Luke, 2001)

The benefits of understanding health systems as a complex systems, highlighting in particular the importance of unintended consequences in health policy making and regulations(Sturmberg & Lanham, 2014). Health care systems require effective interactions between health care professionals an consumers to implement objectives to satisfy quality and affordability. Non-linear, simple rules, and emergent are al properties that interact with complexity.

Double loop and single loop learning is provided to organizations along with their employees to enhance their skills to identify and understand the cause of problems. With this learning they will find legitimate ways to keep these problems from arising again. Double loop learning will urge the employee to dig deeper into the situation to find the rot to the problem. Therefore they will plan, verify, revise, the execute. Where as single loop learning will basically patch up the situation without actually solving it. So they will only verify and adjust the problem. An advantage of double loop learning would be that it goes above and beyond error correction, it actually works to finds the results to eliminate errors.

Hospitals operate in regulated environments characterized by heavy top-down control mechanisms that are conducible for improving conformance quality according to Chandrasekaran & Ward, 2016. People processing is mostly aimed toward physical care mainly hands on treatment. This has a major impact on how consumers rate quality of care. With great leadership in a organization the quality of care should be implemented frequently to ensure that consumers are getting the service that they deserve. Some examples that would increase value would be to make sure facility have access to all available resources and that employees use them efficiently.