Learning Health Systems
Supporting health and care organisations to learn fast and act fast
The continuous improvement of health and care means that health and care providers are continuously implementing complex innovations and ways of working. It is important to know the impact of these changes as quickly as possible to avoid wasted time and resources.
A Learning Health System (LHS) is a systematic approach that enables organisations to rapidly make decisions backed by data and evidence, implement those decisions, and continuously monitor impact – adjusting course as required. It connects the knowledge generated through everyday care with the people and processes needed to drive continuous improvement.
How it works
Our work is grounded in a proven five-part LHS framework, applied flexibly to the context and priorities of each programme.
We embed alongside partner organisations as a learning partner – not a detached evaluator – bringing a mix of analytical, methodological and facilitation capability.
Central to the approach is a culture committed to well-informed decision-making: creating a rich data stream, triangulating quantitative data with real-world staff, patient and community insights, acting on what is learned, and checking that actions are working.
UCLPartners acts as a learning partner to project implementation, providing:
Understanding evidence and context
Academic expertise for understanding evidence and context.
Data analysis and triangulation
Mixed-methods data analysis and triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data.
Gathering qualitative insight
Qualitative insight gathering from staff, patients and communities.
Sharing learning at pace
Rapid sharing of learning through reports, briefings and infographics.
Innovative learning approaches
Innovation in learning roles and digital tools.
Building learning communities
Facilitation of learning communities and peer networks to spread effective practice.
The five stages of a Learning Health System:
Gather data
Gathering a wide range of data, including staff, patient and community insights alongside quantitative data. Setting quantitative data in context with real-life experiences provides a more detailed understanding of what is happening and why.
Analyse
Triangulating data to identify insights to share with relevant decision-making groups for consideration. Reviewing the triangulated data helps to identify areas of excellence, opportunities for change or improvement, as well as elements that can be standardised across systems and elements that warrant local variation.
Make decisions
Decision making to reflect on insights and agree actions as appropriate. Making use of internal learning and accessing lessons from others allows teams to make rapid decisions, reflect and adjust their actions as appropriate.
Implement
Rapid sharing of learning through reports, briefings and infographics.
Close the loop
Checking reliability and effectiveness of implementation. Monitoring and reviewing data to check that activities are having the intended impact, enabling rapid adjustment where required.
Key benefits
Data-backed decision making
Rapidly make decisions backed by data and evidence.
Monitoring impact
Quickly monitor impact and adjust approach as necessary.
Learning and acting fast
Learn fast and act fast across all dimensions: clinical, operational and staff wellbeing.
Understanding community needs
Use insights to understand and accommodate the needs of different community groups.
Is this right for you?
Learning Health Systems are most effective when supported by a culture and ethos that is committed to learning, monitoring the impact of decisions, and adjusting the approach as required.
This often requires senior leadership and the ability to make changes to a project in an agile way.
UCLPartners works in close collaboration with providers to ensure the learning system is meeting the needs of the project and its stakeholders.
Rachel Penniston
Director of Implementation
Rachel.penniston@uclpartners.com
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with Rachel Penniston