This course introduces learners to complexity theory through a healthcare lens. The health industry is inherently complex and challenging to navigate. Much like a biological system, it cannot be reduced to individual components or ‘agents': it must be studied as a decentralized system. A complex system is inherently adaptable within a range of conditions, and although inter-dependencies may be characterized through simple rules, these rules may also change in response to constraints that naturally arise through a change in context. Our collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the intricacies of complex adaptive systems. It has demonstrated the importance of strategic foresight, scenario planning, problem definition, big data, effective lines of communication, multi-disciplinary teams, and rapid decision-making processes. To explain healthcare as a complex adaptive system, this course will use multi-part problem-based learning case studies centred on the COVID-19 pandemic. We will also reverse-engineer several adaptations that emerged in non-health sectors to illustrate additional elements of complexity theory. These exercises will illustrate leadership, innovation, and management challenges faced by various agents before, during, and after the pandemic. Learners will develop a comprehensive set of tools to frame problems and navigate a variety of change efforts. Pre-requisites: HVT 101 & HVT 102
