Edgeware: Insights from Complexity Science for Health Care

This publication is the first book to address complexity science in health care. It represents a revolutionary new way for health care leaders to think about how they engage employees, work with physicians, manage unmanageably complex tasks and plan for an uncertain future. But it's not for health care workers only - this book is useful to anyone interested in how complexity science is changing not only business management, but also how many disciplines of science relate to one another. Complexity science reframes our view of many systems that are only partially understood by traditional scientific methods. Systems as apparently diverse as stock markets, human bodies, ecosystems, immune systems, termite colonies and hospitals seem to share some patterns of behavior. These patterns provide insights into sustainability, viability, and innovation.

Dr. Brenda Zimmerman is a professor of strategic management at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto. She is the founder and director of the Health Industry Management Program for MBA students. Her primary research applies complexity science to management and leadership issues in organizations, especially health care or not-for-profit organizations, experiencing high levels of uncertainty and turbulence. Her latest co-authored book, "Getting to Maybe: How the World is Changed" is a Canadian best seller. In 2006 she was awarded the Athena award in recognition of her community contributions and mentoring of women to reach their full potential. Dr. Curt Lindberg is director, Partnership for Complex Systems and Healthcare Innovation at Billings Clinic. He founded Plexus Institute, a non-profit organization devoted to helping people use insights from complexity science to improve the health of individuals, families, communities, organizations and the natural environment. With a nose for innovative ideas, he has played an important role in introducing complexity science concepts into health care thinking, practice and management. One of his current priorities is the introduction of the social change process positive deviance into health care to tackle complex challenges such as infection prevention and pain management. He holds a doctorate in complexity and organizational change. Formerly the corporate director of quality planning at A T & T, Paul Plsek is an engineer and independent consultant in the field of performance improvement. He is internationally known for his work in quality improvement in health care. He is author of "Creativity, Innovation and Quality", co-author of "Quality Improvement Tools", and numerous other articles and book chapters. He is the Mark Hutcheson Chair for Innovation at the Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle and an advisor to the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement in Warwick, England.