Health Systems and Systems Thinking Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the definitions, building blocks, and principles of health systems and systems thinking as described in the lecture notes.

System

A group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a complex whole according to the Heritage Dictionary (2000).

Health System

Comprises all organizations, institutions, individuals, and actions whose primary intent is to promote, restore, or maintain health (WHO, 2007).

Healthcare System

A means of organized social response to the health conditions of the population, often described in terms of levels of healthcare and organizational structure of the Ministry responsible for health.

Systems Thinking

A holistic approach that emphasizes dynamic relationships, feedback loops, and interdependence within a health system, recognizing that problems are interlinked.

Health Systems Strengthening

The process of developing the capacity of health system components to deliver equitable, efficient, and sustainable health outcomes.

Context-specific Principle

In most Sub-Saharan Africa contexts, this principle is synonymous with a resource-constrained environment.

The Six Building Blocks of a Health System

1. Service delivery; 2. Health workforce; 3. Health information system; 4. Medical products, vaccines and technologies; 5. Health financing; 6. Leadership and governance.

System Organizing

Managing and leading a system, including the rules that set direction through vision, set prohibitions through regulation, and provide permissions through incentives.

Systems Networks

Understanding and managing the web of all stakeholders and actors, both individual and institutional, within the system.

Systems Dynamics

Conceptually modeling and understanding dynamic change by analyzing organizational structure and how it influences the behavior of the system.

Systems Knowledge

Managing content and infrastructure for explicit and tacit knowledge, using feedback chains of data, information, and evidence to guide decisions.

Development Partners

Bilateral or multilateral donors and philanthropists who provide financial and technical support, often through Sector-Wide Approaches (SWA) and basket funding.

Professional and Regulatory Bodies

Associations like the Kenya Medical Association that focus on welfare and knowledge, and boards like the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board that oversee licensing and safety standards.

National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF)

A health financing mechanism in Kenya that allows contributors to access covered health services, primarily covering curative services.

Socio-cultural Factors

Influences such as hygiene practices, nutrition, and cultural practices (e.g., FGM or food taboos) that help or hinder health outcomes.