System Thinking, Innovation, and Complexity in Healthcare: An AB

This annotated bibliography explores the application of system thinking and innovation within complex healthcare systems. It critically analyzes research papers focusing on various aspects, including the implementation of advanced technological interventions, the social determinants of health, and the challenges of leading change and innovation. The bibliography highlights the importance of innovative system thinking in addressing the dynamic complexity of healthcare, the role of customer-focused approaches, and the impact of external factors such as political policies and economic downturns. It also examines the barriers to effective execution in complexity management, emphasizing the need for patient-led innovation and design thinking approaches. Each annotation summarizes the research methodology, key findings, limitations, and relevance of the selected articles to understanding and improving healthcare systems.

Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
System Thinking and Innovation in Complex System of Healthcare Sectors
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Thakur, R., Hsu, S.H. and Fontenot, G., 2012. Innovation in healthcare: Issues and
future trends. Journal of Business Research, 65(4), pp.562-569.
In this research paper, the authors tried to find out the system and methodology used within
healthcare system by investigating their innovative thinking in complexity management. The
research reflects the key public health areas of concern with innovative implementation of
‘advanced technological interventions along with the implementation of IT’ and the social
determinants of health. The research has implemented the secondary research methodology
where secondary data collected from articles and research journals on 15 healthcare units and
21C-level healthcare execution have been analysed with qualitative content analysis. The
types of complexity management and practical models have been identified through this
research that are usually implemented in public healthcare system. This analysis suggested
that software based system modelling techniques are most useful in implications for
practitioners and policy makers and the future trends. The major limitation of this paper is it
is focused on only previous researched data and numerical findings that can be considered as
outdated. Moreover, this research paper is very useful for understanding the implementation
of system thinking in current healthcare system and operational complexity. These findings
will help to extend the range of utilisation of innovative thinking and implementation in a
complex system of healthcare management.
Atun, R., 2012. Health systems, systems thinking and innovation. Health policy and
planning, 27(suppl_4), pp.iv4-iv8.
In this report, the author has tried to find out the cause of unachieved desired outcomes that
lead to unexpected or unintended consequences in several well-intentioned policies and

2ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
managerial decisions that are aimed to improving healthcare systems. This paper briefly
discussed the dynamic complexity in healthcare system that needs innovative system thinking
and implementation rather than traditional execution of system theories in management. The
paper also reflected the factors that hindered the adaptation and diffusion innovation in
healthcare. The research has followed the secondary research method while examining
various relevant articles and previous research topics with quantitative content analysis and
numerical expression. This report has found a ‘cause and effect mapping’ in healthcare
system that initiates the interconnection within problem findings, innovation and adaptation
system from a broad context of healthcare management system. Lack of innovative
intervention of system model and complexity handling has been found as the core cause of
these anomalies. The major limitation of this paper is it is focused on only previous
researched data and numerical findings instead of real time data collection from existing
healthcare environment.
Dey, P.K., Hariharan, S. and Ho, W., 2009. Innovation in healthcare services: a
customer-focused approach. International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 6(4),
pp.387-405.
In this paper the authors examines the trends of implementing various tools and techniques of
quality management system in existing healthcare while there can be some alternative way or
frame work of the implementation of consumer focused innovative approach. The research
examines the innovative techniques and skill requirement for implementing the customer
focus approach while comparing the classical approach and advanced dynamic approach in
practical environment. The paper have found that the implementation of advanced ‘Quality
Function Deployment or QFD’ and logical framework with dynamic and recurrent approach
will be required more in intensive care unit of the healthcare system. The paper also stated

3ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
that there are several initiatives taken by the government and private health organisation
worldwide to implement and demonstrate the alternative innovative way of managing the
complex health system. The report focused on the qualitative analysis of recent
implementation trends while framing those with explanatory design. The most weak point of
this report is it has been developed under the light of logical explanation of innovative quality
management issues and analytical techniques for prioritising the improvement theory while
comparing various case studies and practical situations without interfering with any primary
or secondary numerical data or statistical analysis. However, to understand the innovative
framework using Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and a logical framework design and
implementation in complex healthcare system this paper would be very helpful.
Rethmeier, K.A., 2010. Innovation for healthcare reform: Creating opportunities to
explore, expand and excel. Journal of Management & Marketing in Healthcare, 3(2),
pp.150-162.
In this research report the author, examine the existing political policy, global economic
downturn and frequent changing healthcare practices of executing system thinking in a
complex healthcare environment while analysing the resultant social and cultural
consequence on internal as well as external environment of healthcare sector. The research
contributed to the Knowledge of complex management handling and discussed its four
regulatory models including effective ‘leadership, network, knowledge and communication’
while finding their social and cultural influences. Though this research various challenges of
developing measurement of critical business issues with innovative implementation of
leadership model have been identified that has considerable amount of impact within
organisational culture and performance level. The major boundary of this paper is it analysed
the existing and potential implementations complexity management and innovation from the

4ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
external perspective while interpreting the combinational outcomes due to innovative
leadership. Most of the health systems do not concerned about this innovative leadership
approach at all. This paper can helps the learner to understand the impact and challenges from
external factors in complexity management of healthcare along with the appropriate
techniques of developing innovative leadership strategies.
McNichol, E., 2012. Patient-led innovation in healthcare: The value of the
‘user’perspective. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 5(4), pp.216-222.
This paper aimed to examine the challenges of implementing innovative complexity
management approach in Middle Income Countries (MICs) to strengthen the existing flaws
and loopholes in healthcare sector. The paper mainly explored the barriers that are hindering
the effective execution in Complexity management while prioritising the users perception and
the possible strategies to implement ‘patient-led innovation’. After analysing the collected
data from the realistic case studies and organisational records the lack of prioritising the user-
led healthcare and design thinking approach have been found as the key barriers of
implementing the complexity handling model healthcare management system. Apart from
that lack of expertise, responsible stakeholders and fragmented controlled system are found
as the key obstacles. The main limitation of this research is it emphasise only the perceptions
of higher regulatory factors that can have huge competence gap with the ground level
implementation of the patient-led innovative technique. Moreover, from this research the
operational hindrance in implementation of Design thinking and user led innovative
approach can be understood from the individual profitability and regulatory viewpoints.

5ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
References:
Atun, R., 2012. Health systems, systems thinking and innovation. Health policy and
planning, 27(suppl_4), pp.iv4-iv8.
Dey, P.K., Hariharan, S. and Ho, W., 2009. Innovation in healthcare services: a
customer-focused approach. International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 6(4),
pp.387-405.
McNichol, E., 2012. Patient-led innovation in healthcare: The value of the
‘user’perspective. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 5(4), pp.216-222.
Rethmeier, K.A., 2010. Innovation for healthcare reform: Creating opportunities to
explore, expand and excel. Journal of Management & Marketing in Healthcare, 3(2),
pp.150-162.
Thakur, R., Hsu, S.H. and Fontenot, G., 2012. Innovation in healthcare: Issues and
future trends. Journal of Business Research, 65(4), pp.562-569.