Promoting Coevolution Between Healthcare Organizations and Communities as Part of Social and Health Pathways Management in Quebec: Contributions of the Complex Adaptive Systems Approach

The implementation of sociosanitary pathways in the Quebec healthcare system aims to better meet the needs of communities and strengthen their participation at all levels of governance. This initiative will form the basis of our article, which will look at the challenges of adaptation both inside an...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lara Maillet, Georges-Charles Thiebaut, Anna Goudet, Jean-Sébastien Marchand
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2025-04-01
Series:Health Services Insights
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/11786329251332797
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849712833885896704
author Lara Maillet
Georges-Charles Thiebaut
Anna Goudet
Jean-Sébastien Marchand
author_facet Lara Maillet
Georges-Charles Thiebaut
Anna Goudet
Jean-Sébastien Marchand
author_sort Lara Maillet
collection DOAJ
description The implementation of sociosanitary pathways in the Quebec healthcare system aims to better meet the needs of communities and strengthen their participation at all levels of governance. This initiative will form the basis of our article, which will look at the challenges of adaptation both inside and outside organizations. Drawing on the complex adaptive systems approach, we have developed an analytical framework to highlight the processes that can lead to the adaptation of governance to facilitate community participation in the management of this pathways. The aim of this article is to propose a better understanding of coevolution in the process(es) of adaption of the governance of a complex healthcare organization to its environment, by mobilizing the complex adaptive systems approach. We conducted a qualitative case study, based on 4 sources: documents (n = 70) produced or used during implementation, participatory observations on various tactical and operational committees of the management structure, collaborative workshops with members of the management committee, and semi-structured interviews (n = 18) with managers, department heads, partners, and users of health and social services. To understand the co-evolutionary processes involved in the implementation of management by social and health pathways, we present our results in response to 3 research proposals on the theme of internal and external coherence in a healthcare organization, in terms of vision (cultural), structures (organizational and clinical), and relationships with external partners (environment). Our findings show that to implement and manage an innovation in a healthcare organization, it is fundamental to foster coevolution at operational, tactical and strategic levels, as well as with the external environment. To achieve this, it is necessary to maintain a balance and internal coherence between the structure being implemented and the existing structure, to establish formal and informal communication channels to ensure seamless interactions, while recognizing and reinforcing mutual interdependence in a systemic perspective.
format Article
id doaj-art-8321c9c9eebf4e6980ece9463e57f4cb
institution DOAJ
issn 1178-6329
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher SAGE Publishing
record_format Article
series Health Services Insights
spelling doaj-art-8321c9c9eebf4e6980ece9463e57f4cb2025-08-20T03:14:09ZengSAGE PublishingHealth Services Insights1178-63292025-04-011810.1177/11786329251332797Promoting Coevolution Between Healthcare Organizations and Communities as Part of Social and Health Pathways Management in Quebec: Contributions of the Complex Adaptive Systems ApproachLara Maillet0Georges-Charles Thiebaut1Anna Goudet2Jean-Sébastien Marchand3Canada Research Chair in Adaptive Systems for Health and Social Services Tier 2, CRC Sa3S, Laboratory for Systemic Health Research and Interventions (LabRIS), ENAP, Montreal, QC, CanadaCommissaire à la santé et au bien-être/Commissionner of Health and Wellness (CSBE), Montreal, QC, CanadaCanada Research Chair in Adaptive Systems for Health and Social Services Tier 2, CRC Sa3S, Laboratory for Systemic Health Research and Interventions (LabRIS), ENAP, Montreal, QC, CanadaCentre de recherche Charles-Le Moyne (CRCLM), Longueuil, QC, CANADAThe implementation of sociosanitary pathways in the Quebec healthcare system aims to better meet the needs of communities and strengthen their participation at all levels of governance. This initiative will form the basis of our article, which will look at the challenges of adaptation both inside and outside organizations. Drawing on the complex adaptive systems approach, we have developed an analytical framework to highlight the processes that can lead to the adaptation of governance to facilitate community participation in the management of this pathways. The aim of this article is to propose a better understanding of coevolution in the process(es) of adaption of the governance of a complex healthcare organization to its environment, by mobilizing the complex adaptive systems approach. We conducted a qualitative case study, based on 4 sources: documents (n = 70) produced or used during implementation, participatory observations on various tactical and operational committees of the management structure, collaborative workshops with members of the management committee, and semi-structured interviews (n = 18) with managers, department heads, partners, and users of health and social services. To understand the co-evolutionary processes involved in the implementation of management by social and health pathways, we present our results in response to 3 research proposals on the theme of internal and external coherence in a healthcare organization, in terms of vision (cultural), structures (organizational and clinical), and relationships with external partners (environment). Our findings show that to implement and manage an innovation in a healthcare organization, it is fundamental to foster coevolution at operational, tactical and strategic levels, as well as with the external environment. To achieve this, it is necessary to maintain a balance and internal coherence between the structure being implemented and the existing structure, to establish formal and informal communication channels to ensure seamless interactions, while recognizing and reinforcing mutual interdependence in a systemic perspective.https://doi.org/10.1177/11786329251332797
spellingShingle Lara Maillet
Georges-Charles Thiebaut
Anna Goudet
Jean-Sébastien Marchand
Promoting Coevolution Between Healthcare Organizations and Communities as Part of Social and Health Pathways Management in Quebec: Contributions of the Complex Adaptive Systems Approach
Health Services Insights
title Promoting Coevolution Between Healthcare Organizations and Communities as Part of Social and Health Pathways Management in Quebec: Contributions of the Complex Adaptive Systems Approach
title_full Promoting Coevolution Between Healthcare Organizations and Communities as Part of Social and Health Pathways Management in Quebec: Contributions of the Complex Adaptive Systems Approach
title_fullStr Promoting Coevolution Between Healthcare Organizations and Communities as Part of Social and Health Pathways Management in Quebec: Contributions of the Complex Adaptive Systems Approach
title_full_unstemmed Promoting Coevolution Between Healthcare Organizations and Communities as Part of Social and Health Pathways Management in Quebec: Contributions of the Complex Adaptive Systems Approach
title_short Promoting Coevolution Between Healthcare Organizations and Communities as Part of Social and Health Pathways Management in Quebec: Contributions of the Complex Adaptive Systems Approach
title_sort promoting coevolution between healthcare organizations and communities as part of social and health pathways management in quebec contributions of the complex adaptive systems approach
url https://doi.org/10.1177/11786329251332797
work_keys_str_mv AT laramaillet promotingcoevolutionbetweenhealthcareorganizationsandcommunitiesaspartofsocialandhealthpathwaysmanagementinquebeccontributionsofthecomplexadaptivesystemsapproach
AT georgescharlesthiebaut promotingcoevolutionbetweenhealthcareorganizationsandcommunitiesaspartofsocialandhealthpathwaysmanagementinquebeccontributionsofthecomplexadaptivesystemsapproach
AT annagoudet promotingcoevolutionbetweenhealthcareorganizationsandcommunitiesaspartofsocialandhealthpathwaysmanagementinquebeccontributionsofthecomplexadaptivesystemsapproach
AT jeansebastienmarchand promotingcoevolutionbetweenhealthcareorganizationsandcommunitiesaspartofsocialandhealthpathwaysmanagementinquebeccontributionsofthecomplexadaptivesystemsapproach