Systems Science: A Primer on High Reliability

In the 21st century, most medical care is not delivered by a single physician but rather, by a team. A team is a type of system, a set of people and things interacting together for a defined aim. The discipline of systems science concerns itself with how complex teams or organizations function. The application of systems science has had a major positive impact on safety and quality in such diverse disciplines as auto manufacturing, airline safety, and nuclear power generation. A modest understanding of how systems science applies to medical care can help improve safety and quality of care.