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. 2006 Mar;96(3):538-46.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.066001. Epub 2006 Jan 31.

Practical challenges of systems thinking and modeling in public health

William M Trochim  1 , Derek A Cabrera, Bobby Milstein, Richard S Gallagher, Scott J Leischow
Affiliations

Practical challenges of systems thinking and modeling in public health

William M Trochim et al. Am J Public Health. 2006 Mar.

Abstract

Objectives: Awareness of and support for systems thinking and modeling in the public health field are growing, yet there are many practical challenges to implementation. We sought to identify and describe these challenges from the perspectives of practicing public health professionals.

Methods: A systems-based methodology, concept mapping, was used in a study of 133 participants from 2 systems-based public health initiatives (the Initiative for the Study and Implementation of Systems and the Syndemics Prevention Network). This method identified 100 key challenges to implementation of systems thinking and modeling in public health work.

Results: The project resulted in a map identifying 8 categories of challenges and the dynamic interactions among them.

Conclusions: Implementation by public health professionals of the 8 simple rules we derived from the clusters in the map identified here will help to address challenges and improve the organization of systems that protect the public's health.

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Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Eight-cluster concept map of practical challenges that need to be addressed to encourage and support effective systems thinking and modeling in public health work.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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