A systems approach to planning biomedical information services

A systems approach to planning was applied within the Biomedical Information Communication Center at Oregon Health Sciences University when its User Services division launched a strategic planning effort. By looking at the choice subsystem, the organizational structure, and the behavioral subsystem, those engaged in planning attempted to assure that desired change would permeate the entire system. The challenge of applying a theoretically ideal planning model within an environment averse to planning is delineated.