Systems Thinking to Improve the Public's Health

Scott J. Leischow; Allan Best; William M. Trochim; Pamela I. Clark; Richard S. Gallagher; Stephen E. Marcus; Eva Matthews

doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2008.05.014

Systems Thinking to Improve the Public's Health

Scott J. Leischow, Allan Best, William M. Trochim, Pamela I. Clark, Richard S. Gallagher, Stephen E. Marcus, Eva Matthews

Quantitative Health Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

206 Scopus citations

Abstract

Abstract: Improving population health requires understanding and changing societal structures and functions, but countervailing forces sometimes undermine those changes, thus reflecting the adaptive complexity inherent in public health systems. The purpose of this paper is to propose systems thinking as a conceptual rubric for the practice of team science in public health, and transdisciplinary, translational research as a catalyst for promoting the functional efficiency of science. The paper lays a foundation for the conceptual understanding of systems thinking and transdisciplinary research, and will provide illustrative examples within and beyond public health. A set of recommendations for a systems-centric approach to translational science will be presented.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	S196-S203
Journal	American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Volume	35
Issue number	2 SUPPL.
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2008.05.014
State	Published - Aug 2008

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Epidemiology
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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10.1016/j.amepre.2008.05.014

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title = "Systems Thinking to Improve the Public's Health",

abstract = "Abstract: Improving population health requires understanding and changing societal structures and functions, but countervailing forces sometimes undermine those changes, thus reflecting the adaptive complexity inherent in public health systems. The purpose of this paper is to propose systems thinking as a conceptual rubric for the practice of team science in public health, and transdisciplinary, translational research as a catalyst for promoting the functional efficiency of science. The paper lays a foundation for the conceptual understanding of systems thinking and transdisciplinary research, and will provide illustrative examples within and beyond public health. A set of recommendations for a systems-centric approach to translational science will be presented.",

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AU - Leischow, Scott J.

AU - Best, Allan

AU - Trochim, William M.

AU - Clark, Pamela I.

AU - Gallagher, Richard S.

AU - Marcus, Stephen E.

AU - Matthews, Eva

PY - 2008/8

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N2 - Abstract: Improving population health requires understanding and changing societal structures and functions, but countervailing forces sometimes undermine those changes, thus reflecting the adaptive complexity inherent in public health systems. The purpose of this paper is to propose systems thinking as a conceptual rubric for the practice of team science in public health, and transdisciplinary, translational research as a catalyst for promoting the functional efficiency of science. The paper lays a foundation for the conceptual understanding of systems thinking and transdisciplinary research, and will provide illustrative examples within and beyond public health. A set of recommendations for a systems-centric approach to translational science will be presented.

AB - Abstract: Improving population health requires understanding and changing societal structures and functions, but countervailing forces sometimes undermine those changes, thus reflecting the adaptive complexity inherent in public health systems. The purpose of this paper is to propose systems thinking as a conceptual rubric for the practice of team science in public health, and transdisciplinary, translational research as a catalyst for promoting the functional efficiency of science. The paper lays a foundation for the conceptual understanding of systems thinking and transdisciplinary research, and will provide illustrative examples within and beyond public health. A set of recommendations for a systems-centric approach to translational science will be presented.

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Systems Thinking to Improve the Public's Health

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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