If things were simple, word would have gotten around. - Can complexity science help us improve pediatric research?

Abstract

Complexity science is a discipline which explores how complex systems behave and how we interact with them. Though it is widely implemented outside medicine, particularly in the sciences involving human behavior, but also in the natural sciences such as physics and biology, there are only a few applications within medical research. We propose that complexity science can provide new and helpful perspectives on complex pediatric medical problems. It can help us better understand complex systems and develop ways to cope with their inherent unpredictabilities. In this article, we provide a brief introduction of complexity science, explore why many medical problems can be considered ‘complex’, and discuss how we can apply this perspective to pediatric research.

Authors 6

1. Susanna F. Fustolo‐Gunnink

   Sanquin · University of Amsterdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Advanced Study , University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam , the Netherlands

   Sanquin Research & LAB Services , Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation , Amsterdam , the Netherlands

   Institute for Advanced Study, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

   Sanquin Research & LAB Services, Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

2. Willem Pieter de Boode

   Radboud University Medical Center · Amalia Kinderziekenhuis · Radboud Institute for Health Sciences

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Neonatology , Radboud University Medical Center , Radboud Institute for Health Sciences ,

   Amalia Children's Hospital, Nijmegen, the Netherlands

   Department of Neonatology, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences,

3. Olaf M. Dekkers Aachen Department of Clinical Epidemiology

   Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Clinical Epidemiology , Leiden University Medical Center , Leiden , The Netherlands

   Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

4. Gorm O. Greisen

   University of Copenhagen · Rigshospitalet

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Neonatology , Rigshospitalet and Copenhagen University , Copenhagen , Denmark

   Department of Neonatology, Rigshospitalet and Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark

5. Enrico Lopriore Aachen Department of Pediatrics Division of Neonatology, Leiden University Medical Center

   Leiden University Medical Center · Sanquin · Willem-Alexander Kinderziekenhuis

   Affiliation as printed

   Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation , Plesmanlaan 125 , 1066 CX , Amsterdam

   Willem-Alexander Children's Hospital , Department of Pediatrics , Division of Neonatology , Leiden University Medical Center , Leiden , the Netherlands

   Willem-Alexander Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands

6. Federica Russo

   Utrecht University · University College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Science and Technology Studies, University College London, London, United Kingdom

   Freudenthal Institute, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands