This is a slide that was shown in the last module. What we talked about with this slide was the complexity of healthcare and why we need systems engineering. When you listen to this module, you may have thought of systems in terms of the complex systems that we discussed earlier, but now you know there are different types of systems: Complex systems, system of systems, and enterprise systems. If you look at these pictures now you may have a different view. So first what we saw is the complexity associated with this, but we didn't realize that we could call that a system of system. Within here, you will see multiple complex system that constitutes a system of systems. But then also if you think about it, this patient is being cared for by doctors, administrators and others, and when that's done, that constitutes an enterprise system. When you start putting these things together, you realize that complexity and why we need systems engineering for healthcare. What I want to emphasize here is that it's not just systems engineering, it's systems of systems engineering and enterprise systems engineering. That's what we need to look at, because each one of those unique systems has a different way to view it, and a different way to analyze it. In all cases though, we want to better integrate. Think about an ICU, when we bring the different equipments into an ICU, are they well integrated and orchestrated? Probably not right now, we need to do better. There was a whole lot of data available from all the different complex systems as well as the integrated system of system. How can we look at that data to better understand how to provide better care? Also when we think about enterprise systems, how can we get the human involved, as well as the patient and the family, provide better processes for care of the patient? When we do this, you'll see that we will have better productivity, affordability, accessibility, and the outcomes will be much better, so in turn the value increases. All this is to say, when we start talking systems engineering in the next module, you'll have an understanding of the healthcare background, the system type background, and we bring them altogether, while we use systems engineering for healthcare. This is another slide that I showed in the last module where we showed some of the challenges for healthcare. I put it here, healthcare systems engineering, but the reason I'm bringing it back is you now have a better sense of the different types of systems. Not just a complex system, but a system of system and an enterprise system. So as you relook at these challenges for healthcare, you'll see that there are multiple system a system and enterprise system challenges without patient as well as inpatient. Each one of these solutions will require technology, people, and processes, which normally will make it a system of system or enterprise system solution. Also, as we look at enabling capabilities, there may be single units that achieve goals and objectives, but you may need multiple complex systems to achieve goals and objectives. Also, as you think about the different type of advanced healthcare that comes on the field, we may see that it's not just a single complex system that's going to answer the question, but it may require system of system enterprise systems to bring goals and objectives forward. As with the last module, I have reflective questions at the end of this module. These reflective questions focus on the three different types of systems you learned about. What are they? What are their attributes? Think about those because that will help you figure out the differences. Also take a look at these questions because these questions will help you think through the differences between each one. Then finally in preparation for the next module, we will get into systems engineering and healthcare systems engineering. So think through the different types of system that you are aware of in healthcare, and then that'll help you as we move forward into systems engineering those healthcare systems.
