Learning health systems | Michael Smith Health Research BC

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How can we help you?

Do you want to learn more about learning health systems and how they can help you? Are you already building a learning community and want support?

From strategy to operations, we can provide advice and education to help you better understand the impact of learning health systems.

Contact us with your questions.

Our typical response time is 2 business days.

Email us: bcsupportunit@healthresearchbc.ca

Our services include:

Consultation about learning health systems and your project or organization
Strategic foundations for your learning health system
Preparation for launching a learning health system

Tailored presentations and talks about learning health systems
Workshops and skill-building for learning health systems

Consultations on learning communities and the learning cycle
Facilitation for priority-setting activities
Evaluation for your learning health systems initiative

About learning health systems

What is a learning health system?

A learning health system (LHS) lives in the space where research and healthcare overlap. In a learning health system, we continuously learn from what we do.

In more technical terms, a learning health system collects, analyzes, and applies data from routine care to improve patient outcomes, system efficiency, and equity. It aims to improve patient experience, improve health outcomes, lower costs, improve clinician well-being, and increase health equity.

Around the world, there are many definitions for learning health systems. Some focus on process, some focus on systems, and some focus on people.

A venn diagram with research on one side and healthcare on the other. Learning health systems is at the intersection in the middle.

What are the different parts of a learning health system?

There are three major parts of a learning health system:

An identified problem
A learning community
A continuous learning cycle

Click diagram to view details.

Learning health systems diagram that shows all three elements: the continuous learning cycle, the identified problem, and the learning community. The continuous learning cycle is represented by three arrows going around in a circle, which indicate different phases of the continuous learning cycle: Knowledge to Practice, Practice to Data, and Data to Knowledge. The two other components are shown in the middle of the diagram, indicating that they are at the "heart" of the learning cycle: the identified problem and the learning community.

The purpose of a learning health system is to understand and meaningfully address an identified challenge or problem in the health system.

Click diagram to view details.

Learning health systems diagram with a specific focus on the identified problem component, which is centred in the middle of the continuous learning cycle.

Learning communities are groups of people who meaningfully collaborate to solve health and health system problems. These groups have:

Shared interests and goals
Multiple perspectives
Experiences
Expertise

Click diagram to view details.

Learning health systems diagram with a specific focus on the learning community component, which is centred in the middle of the continuous learning cycle.

The continuous learning cycle has three phases. After all three phases have been completed, the process repeats and the next learning cycle begins.

The three phases of a continuous learning cycle are:

Practice-to-Data (P2D)
Data is generated from a practice. Usually, the practice is a healthcare service or intervention.
Data-to-Knowledge (D2K)
Data is turned into knowledge and combined with other relevant forms of knowledge, including lived experience.
Knowledge-to-Practice (K2P)
Knowledge is transformed into practice change and implemented into a system.

Click diagram to view details.

Learning health systems diagram with a specific focus on the continuous learning cycle component. The diagram shows three arrows in a cycle: Knowledge to Practice, Practice to Data, and Data to Knowledge. Another circular arrow wraps around this cycle with the label "Continuous leaning cycle," showing that the cycle is continuous.

What’s the difference between learning health systems and quality improvement? What are the similarities?

Quality improvement and learning health systems have both adopted similar activity cycles for continuous learning.

However, learning health systems also integrate research methods into the cycle. In some ways, learning health systems could be seen as an integration of quality improvement and research approaches.