The CARE model: A research tool for understanding resilience.

Abstract Healthcare organisations are complex, dynamic systems where resilience—the ability to adapt to misalignments between demand and capacity—is critical but difficult to define and study. This chapter introduces the CARE (Concepts for Applying Resilience Engineering) model, a theoretical framework developed to make resilience visible and measurable in healthcare contexts. Initially conceptualised as the relationship between misalignments and staff adaptations, the CARE model has evolved through empirical application across various healthcare settings, resulting in CARE 2.0 and 3.0. These iterations introduced categorisations of misalignments and adaptations, enabling more systematic analysis and cross-setting comparisons. The model provides a structured yet flexible approach to understanding resilience, emphasising the need to examine work as done rather than relying solely on outcomes to infer resilience. By offering a practical tool for both research and quality improvement, the CARE model contributes significantly to advancing resilience engineering in healthcare and promoting safer, more adaptable systems.