Table 1.

Characteristics of Complex Adaptive Systems Abstracted

Characteristic	Definition	Example
Agents who Learn	• People can and will process information, as well as react to changes in information	• 'Health Buddy' with educational content • Teach guidelines
Interconnections	• Change in pattern of interactions, including non-verbal communication, among agents • Introducing new agents into the system	• Letters to patients • Nurse-led heart failure group clinic • Clinical reminders
Self-organization	• Order is created in a system without explicit hierarchical direction	• Flexibility in tailoring intervention to individual patients
Co-evolution	• The system and the environment influence each other's development	• Individualized 'HOME' treatment plan that changes over time