How do I feel about Research in Health Systems Science

The two images below reflect how I feel about research in health systems science following the first module of Research Methodology.

The first image shows someone carefully digging the earth. To me, this represents problem finding in health systems. Research requires grounding your understanding of a problem in the perspective of the people who experience it every day. By engaging with the lived experiences and perspectives of individuals directly affected by the issue at hand, researchers can gain invaluable insights that might otherwise remain overlooked. Challenges that arise in health systems may not always be as simple as they appear. This requires a detailed inquiry and analysis to ensure that the evidence produced addresses the problem in a way that is relevant and meaningful to the individuals and communities it seeks to serve. Research should also enable a sense of ownership and empowerment among its end-users, as their voices are acknowledged and valued in the research process.

The second image represents a shift in how I conceive of problems. Problems uncovered in health systems are most likely not singular or static. They are always explicitly or implicitly interrelated to each other in some way. Additionally, causality is multi-factored and non-linear. Consequently, problems must be both understood in their immediate context and in relation to the entire health system as well as external influences.