Developing indicators to evaluate systems thinking and application in state injury and violence prevention programs

Abstract

AbstractSystems thinking principles are increasingly recognized as an important part of public health research and practice. However, the extent to which systems thinking is being integrated into public health practice, and its impact on health outcomes, is largely unknown. This is in part due to the paucity of options for measuring systems thinking at the organizational level and in the context of public health practice. Building on existing frameworks of public health competencies, infrastructure, and systems thinking principles, this article proposes a conceptual model and corresponding indicators for measuring organizational systems thinking and application within state public health departments. We describe our process for developing this model and indicators, drawing from both research and practice‐based evidence on systems thinking, and offer a set of indicators for measuring organizational‐level systems thinking in the context of public health practice.