Implications of complex adaptive systems theory for interpreting research about health care organizations
Implications of complex adaptive systems theory for interpreting research about health care organizations
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1365-2753.2009.01359.x
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发表时间：
2010-02-01
影响因子：
2.4
通讯作者：
McDaniel, Reuben R., Jr.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Jordon, Michelle;Lanham, Holly Jordan;McDaniel, Reuben R., Jr.
关于卫生保健组织（HCOs）的数据只有经过解释才能发挥作用。这种解释受到研究者使用的理论视角的影响。目的探讨复杂适应系统（CASs）理论在指导研究解释中的作用。具体而言，我们解决了两个问题：(1)我们正在观察不同因子之间的关系，这一事实对解释HCOs研究观察结果的含义是什么？(2)我们正在观察学习主体之间的关系，这一事实对解释hco中的研究观察有什么意义？方法从CAS的角度定义多样性和学习，以及agent间非线性关系的含义。然后，我们确定了一些常见的有问题的分析实践，并可能导致概念和方法上的错误。然后，我们描述了解释研究观察结果的策略。我们建议，如果研究人员考虑到他们研究的系统是具有不同学习代理之间非线性关系的CASs，那么解释hco研究观察结果的任务可以得到改进。我们的分析指出，对研究结果的解释可能会受到hco是CASs这一事实的影响。我们描述了学习实际上是不同主体之间相互作用的结果，学习本身可以减少或增加主体的多样性。我们鼓励研究人员坚持对复杂系统进行推理的尝试，并学会不仅关注结构，而且关注复杂系统的过程和功能。
Rationale Data about health care organizations (HCOs) are not useful until they are interpreted. Such interpretations are influenced by the theoretical lenses used by the researcher.Objective Our purpose was to suggest the usefulness of theories of complex adaptive systems (CASs) in guiding research interpretation. Specifically, we addressed two questions: (1) What are the implications for interpreting research observations in HCOs of the fact that we are observing relationships among diverse agents? (2) What are the implications for interpreting research observations in HCOs of the fact that we are observing relationships among agents that learn?Methods We defined diversity and learning and the implications of the non-linear relationships among agents from a CAS perspective. We then identified some common analytical practices that were problematic and may lead to conceptual and methodological errors. Then we described strategies for interpreting the results of research observations.Conclusions We suggest that the task of interpreting research observations of HCOs could be improved if researchers take into account that the systems they study are CASs with non-linear relationships among diverse, learning agents. Our analysis points out how interpretation of research results might be shaped by the fact that HCOs are CASs. We described how learning is, in fact, the result of interactions among diverse agents and that learning can, by itself, reduce or increase agent diversity. We encouraged researchers to be persistent in their attempts to reason about complex systems and learn to attend not only to structures, but also to processes and functions of complex systems.