Complex systems thinking to improve health policy implementation in a resource-limited setting: The case of integration of palliative care into the health system in Zimbabwe

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Date

2023

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Publisher

University of the Western Cape

Abstract

Recent research in public health has found that whilst complex systems thinking and implementation research have considerable overlap, they are rarely used in combination, especially for the implementation of health interventions or policies. This deficiency is demonstrated in Zimbabwe where the current approach to implementing health policy is unidimensional and linear, with a cause-effect type of thinking. This approach is limited as it does not consider context or the complexity inherent in the health system. This doctoral study offers a significant and original contribution to knowledge via the improvement of the knowledge, theory, methodology and practice of health policy implementation in a resource-limited setting. This study sought to examine how a more comprehensive approach, complex systems thinking, could be applied to evaluate and improve the process of implementing health policy in a resource-limited setting. The study aim was to monitor and evaluate the policy implementation process of integrating palliative care into the health system at public health facilities in Zimbabwe using the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals (PGH) as a case.

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Keywords

Complexity theory, Complex adaptive system, Health policy implementation, Palliative care, Zimbabwe

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