How has the concept of health system software been used in health policy and systems research? A scoping review.

Understanding health systems as comprising interacting elements of hardware and software acknowledges health systems as complex adaptive systems (CAS). Hardware represents the concrete components of systems, whereas software represents the elements which influence actions and underpin relationships, such as processes, values and norms As a specific call for research on health system software was made in 2011, we conducted a qualitative scoping review considering how and for what purpose the concept has been used since then. Our overall purpose was to synthesise current knowledge and generate lessons about how to deepen research on, and understanding of, health system software.