Systems and diffusion of innovation theories as they apply to healthcare delivery and nursing practice - Essay Example

Such demands energy. The theory also tackles the concept of equifinality, which is among the differences between closed and open systems. Equifinality describes a system that can reach the same final state even with different states of initial condition. Unlike close systems that have positive entropy, open systems also approach minimum entropy production, thus aiming for complexity. Taking note of all of these differences, it has been described that the stable state of closed and open systems are equilibrium and steady-state, respectively (von Bertalanffy, 1950). 1. Systems Theory and Healthcare Delivery in the U. S. The Healthcare system, in general, is an open system.

It does not react to changes by trying to maintain its state, but by trying to adapt to the changes it is up against. It is in a constantly changing state to maintain its stability, so to speak. Historically, in United States, from 1965, the expenses for healthcare has steadily increased at least 4.5% yearly, much greater than the 1.7% increase posted by the country’s gross domestic product, a measure of income. A part of the healthcare expense has increasingly been depended on the private sector, through the private health insurance provided by the employers.

The government, on its part also took part in covering for the increase in healthcare expenses. The advancements in medical technologies and the deregulation of medical supply have caused such increase in expenses. However, when the country was undergoing recession, the government implemented the “managed care”, in which the government limited the use of advanced medical equipment and therapy options (Reinhardt, 2001). In addition, the healthcare system is equifinal. For example, a patient’s willingness to use a novel therapeutic option depends upon the healthcare provider’s sex, specialty, medical school, years in profession, practice volume, and practice location (Sanson-Fisher, 2004).

The different permutations that can lead to the willingness to subject to a treatment option are many. One may arrive at the final decision of (dis)agreeing to undergo the treatment option even through different initial points. 2. Systems Theory and Nursing Practice Going inside the healthcare system is a complicated one because of its complex structure. It is so complex that the nursing profession itself, which is the largest healthcare profession in the United States, is an open system. Their characteristic as an open system is evident in various instances.

First, the final state in nursing practice does not depend on the amount of initial state from which it came or the tangible additions or omissions that resulted to the existence of the final state. For example, the nurses’ role in healthcare is vital because they provide the majority of the initial care to the patients, especially among those in critical condition. Specifically, nurses of a certain section of the hospital are exposed to the same conditions during their clinical practice, but yet others graciously handle the situation and others crack under pressure (Smith, 2010).

Diffusion of Innovation Theory Applied to the Current Situation From the name itself, diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory, as proposed by Rogers is a much more recently developed theory concerned with the adoption of innovations by a unit over time. In this theory, the contribution of the subunits in spreading the new