Applying a system of systems approach to healthcare

Many challenges in today's twenty-first century such as the energy crisis regarding fossil fuels and the financial crisis require new approaches and management techniques. System of systems and system of systems engineering have presented themselves as key approaches to address problems related to complex, dynamic systems and how best to manage them effectively and efficiently. Healthcare systems are complex and currently facing several challenges. The following chapter serves to explore the application of a system of systems approach to healthcare, i.e., a healthcare system of systems (HSoS). Specifically, a HSoS is defined as a collection of independent, large-scale complex, distributed systems. HSoS exhibit operational and managerial independence, geographic distribution, and evolutionary development. Furthermore, a HSoS perspective is imperative in order to realize network-centric healthcare operations, as the chapter discusses.