Holistic System Design: The Oncology Carinthia Study

Health‐care systems all over the world are facing a formidable challenge. The issue is providing an integral kind of care, with the patient at the centre, rather than technology or doctors. Our research question is: How must health‐care systems be designed to provide holistic, patient‐centred care, at excellent quality and bearable cost? The main topic of this chapter is organization. This is a transdisciplinary, socio‐technical undertaking with far‐reaching implications. Organizational innovation is needed, and it can yield better and more abundant fruits than mere technological creations can. The purpose of this chapter is to explore an exemplar of a long‐term process aimed at achieving a holistic system design. The case is from health care. We trace back the process by which a comprehensive oncological care system was built in the Austrian province of Carinthia, with Klagenfurt as its capital. The study covers a period of roughly 30 years, until 2015. It reports on strong successes, but also some downsides along the way. The chapter delivers several counterintuitive insights and powerful lessons for both practitioners and insights.