BMI 5302 Systems Thinking for Healthcare Design and Improvement

3 semester credit hours
Lecture contact hours: 3; Lab contact hours: 3
Web-based and classroom instruction
Lab Fee: $30

This course introduces systems thinking and the design of human-machine collaboration to advance healthcare quality, safety, and performance. It integrates Learning Health System (LHS) principles to examine how sociotechnical interactions, feedback, stakeholder input, and data-driven decisions influence clinical and operational outcomes. Weekly topics introduce students to methods for analyzing clinical workflows, mapping stakeholder needs, and evaluating performance metrics, risks, and implementation strategies. Foundational concepts in AI-enabled decision support—such as predictive models, explainable alerts, and monitoring dashboards—are presented in the context of safety, accountability, and system learning. These topics are explored through case studies, design critiques, and guided exercises. A semester-long project guides students to apply these concepts by analyzing a real-world workflow and the iterative development of a prototype that supports both responsible AI use and LHS-aligned learning cycles. The course prepares students to lead innovation in healthcare systems by integrating quality improvement, informatics, implementation science, and performance measurement.

Upon successful completion of the course, students will

1. Analyze clinical workflows using systems thinking and sociotechnical models to identify inefficiencies, risks and opportunities for healthcare quality and safety improvement.
2. Apply principles of Learning Health Systems (LHS) to integrate stakeholder needs, feedback loops, and monitoring strategies into system design to support continuous learning.
3. Design a low-fidelity dashboard prototype that supports Human-AI interactions for decision-making and aligns with performance improvement.
4. Evaluate the usability, safety, and performance of healthcare solutions using well-defined outcome-based metrics.
5. Communicate the design rationale, stakeholder alignment, and system impact through a structured project report and professional presentation.