Feel the fear and do it anyway: Improving health services and systems carries clear risk of failure

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Feel the fear and do it anyway: Improving health services and systems carries clear risk of failure

Tim Tenbensel 2022

Tim Tenbensel

Mountains from Mt Potts lodge
Complex systems are analogous to rugged landscapes – where trying to “climb a mountain” may be fraught with problems [Image: NZD]

Health system improvement involves considerable risk, and change in one area can be expected to lead to deterioration in another. But the risk of failure should be weighed against the downsides of staying put, writes Tim Tenbensel

In high-income countries such as Aotearoa New Zealand, the public expects a great deal of our health system. We expect our health services to be ef