Teaching health systems science

Core functional, foundational, and linking domains of health systems science

Health systems science is a foundational platform and framework for the study and understanding of how care is delivered, how health professionals work together to deliver that care, and how the health system can improve patient care and health care delivery.

Learn more about teaching health systems science by registering for upcoming webinars or reviewing past sessions.

Health Systems Science Education: Development and Implementation, the fourth volume in the AMA MedEd Innovation Series published by Elsevier, is available now.

This book is a first-of-its-kind, instructor-focused field book that equips educators to not just teach health systems science, but to know how to integrate and implement health systems science comprehensively and effectively across the curriculum.

The 2022 AMA Health Systems Science Student, Resident and Fellow Impact Challenge focused on how medical students and residents across the country have applied health systems science to impact patients, physicians and health systems.

A book of submitted abstracts, including the winners, is now available (PDF).

Books of abstracts submitted in 2021 (PDF), 2020 (PDF) and 2018 (PDF) are also available.

The AMA Health Systems Science Scholars program equips faculty who have significant responsibility for—or who anticipate having responsibility for—implementing and/or teaching topics related to health systems science, with the knowledge and skills needed to be outstanding teachers and leaders. Specifically, the program provides an overview of how to design, implement and evaluate health systems science curriculum at participants’ local institutions.

The 12-month Health Systems Science Scholars program includes a 2-day faculty development workshop taught by nationally known experts in health systems science. These experts also serve as mentors to the scholars over a year-long period. In addition, scholars join a community of faculty scholars with similar interests from across the country.

Applications for the 2022-2023 Health Systems Science Scholars program are now closed.

The AMA Health Systems Science Learning Series is a set of modules that prepares learners to successfully navigate complex health systems, enhance patient care, improve outcomes and work toward fulfilling the promise of the Quadruple Aim—better patient experience, better population health, lower overall costs and improved professional satisfaction. Each engaging and interactive module is a vital part of helping medical students and other learners become effective systems citizens.

Explore the 2nd edition of the Health Systems Science textbook, the first text that focuses on providing a fundamental understanding of how health care is delivered, how health care professionals work together to deliver that care and how the health system can improve patient care.

Health Systems Science Review, a companion to the Health Systems Science textbook, is a first-of-its-kind review book created by the consortium and published by Elsevier.

This study tool provides case-based questions followed by discussions of answers and suggested readings—making it a valuable review resource for medical students and instructors, as well as medical residents; nursing, allied health, and public health students; and hospital administrators.

Discover the rich landscape of peer reviewed articles covering topics from the principles of teamwork to the future of health systems science.

1. Health systems science proving vital during pandemic response

   1. A new chapter in a recently released second edition of Health Systems Science, a textbook featuring contributions from faculty members within the AMA consortium, outlines how these practices are best utilized during a pandemic.

2. 13 free modules offer students insight on health system science

   1. To aid schools and students looking to sharpen their skills during a time of uncertainty, 13 modules in the Health Systems Science Learning Series are available for free via the AMA Ed Hub. 

3. Ending health inequity requires new skill: structural competency

   1. A recent AMA webinar explores how to undo systemic racism by applying an important new concept to medical education: structural competency.

4. Why you need to be a systems thinker in health care

   1. Practicing medicine today is so much more than the interaction between you and the patient sitting before you.

Watch now: Preparing medical students for residency

Watch now: Challenges to transitioning to residency

Free book: Download Educator Well-Being in Academic Medicine

Order Health Systems Science Education: Development and Implementation