An application of the social systems design process to create a model of an ideal future health system for the United States

Is the United States health care system about health? Does it integrate various modes of healing? Does it encourage patients to be responsible for their own health? This research applied Bela H. Banathy's social systems design process to create a model of an ideal, future health system for the United States. This model is designed to deal with problems in the current health care system. Six participants, serving as surrogate designers, and the investigator engaged in a metaprocess integrating generative dialogue and creativity with the design process. The research generated: (1) a description of a function/structure model, a process/behavioral model, and a systems-environment model; (2) a brief description of a metamodel; (3) participant evaluations and valuations; and (4) investigator's observations.;There were three guiding research questions. First, can a small group of people utilize the social systems design process to create a model of a future health system for the United States, one that addresses many of the problems of the current system? This was answered in the affirmative. All three models incorporated a focus on wellness, an integration of healing modalities, and enhancement of individual responsibility.;Second, what do the models look like? The function/structure model elaborates on the values, vision statement, and functions of the new system. The process/behavioral model describes how a wellperson or a sick person moves through the new system. The systems-environment model explores what the system needs from its external environment. An ephemeral metamodel based on an integration of these three models is presented.;Third, how well does the idealized design process perform as intended? Each participant agreed that he or she gained something valuable from the experience. They also agreed that the process was not user-friendly, because they lacked adequate competency in the design process. The investigator observed that the design process works, is an important skill to learn, and can be applied in a variety of settings.;This research is the first step in a vital journey to explore the usefulness of this social system design process and what kind of health system we do want in the United States.