The dangers of increasing complexity
in healthcare
Consequences can make accidents harder to foresee and prevent
By Deen Gu, Alison Amos and Lukasz Mazur
With the introduction of novel technologies,
treatment protocols, pharmaceuticals and regulatory
standards, healthcare delivery systems
have become increasingly more complex. A
complex system is defined by Charles Perrow,
the author of several books on accidents
in high-risk organizations, as one that has many parts, is interdependent
in process and time, and has the potential for
unforeseen or unplanned interactions.
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