Does health care for systemic development?

Abstract

The paper critically evaluates systems approaches to knowledge management to identify if health care professionals value systemic development. Research in knowledge management and health informatics is reviewed to see if multiple systems perspectives exist, and if and how concepts from multiple systems perspectives are integrated, or 'swept in' to a complex whole. The first finding is that knowledge management strategies in health do 'sweep in' insights from three systems perspectives: personal learning (knowledge creation); communities of practice (knowledge normalization) and the exercise of technical expertise and technology (knowledge application). The second finding is that health knowledge management has an architecture that does promote systemic development. An empirical case example of systemic intervention by an executive team is discussed in terms of micro evolution in social ecology. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.