Question

Please answer questions 1-3 for each of the Six Characteristics of Complex Adaptive Systems listed below:

Self-organization

Emergence

Requisite Variety

Coevolution

Connectivity and Iteration

1. How might this be applied in the healthcare setting? Provide an example (real or imagined) of this characteristic being applied.

2. What would that application look like? Describe the setting, scenario, and interactions among people.

3. Is there a way to test the application and evaluate effectiveness? Describe how we might know this characteristic is successfully being applied.

Answer 1

Answer 1:

Health care setting have not remained anywhere at the back foot when it comes to the intervention of technology in their processes is concerned. From the administrative work to the medical prescriptions and patient handling, almost all of the works are now being handled through the use of technology including artificial intelligence, data science and machine learning. We can see an example in the US health care system where doctors are now able to handle the issues associated with the patients while the doctor being at clinic and patient being at their home. This has been possible through internet of things where doctors and patients are interconnected with each other through the IoT devices which lead to connectivity and iterations. This is what is known as self organisation and the interference of technology is known as emergence of the technology from the traditional approach of doctors being busy in carrying their administrative as well as visiting the patient work to the automated approach of managing the patients and the administrative works. Also with the introduction of various applications, doctors and patients have the variety to choose from the health care facilities which the patients can make the choice from and doctors can apply specific prescription from the available variety of prescription. This is known as requisite variety in health care. All these technological interventions have not only resulted into the evolution of the health care system but it has also assisted in the evolution of patients thus confirming co evolution.

Answer 2:

In such application, patients and doctors will be interconnected through the app and the (internet of things) IoT devices. There would be number of doctors that would be listed over the application from which patients will be able to choose the appropriate doctor. Moreover, doctors will also have an option of providing most applicable prescription to the patient from the available choices of prescription so that it would be effective for curing the patient.

Answer 3:

Application can be evaluated through the feedbacks and rating being provided by the users of the system. Users always describe their experiences on the basis of the usability of the application. Self-organisation, emergence, requisite variety, co evolution and connectivity and iteration can be tested by actually experiencing the system and by conducting the primary research of all those people who have used the system. Their responses would help in determining whether the above stated characteristics have been successfully applied to the system or not.