Abstract
In learning health systems (LHS), real-time evidence, informatics, strategies, partnerships, and experiences are aligned to support continuous innovation and improvements in care. Distinct from traditional research that aims to close knowledge gaps, LHS build evidence for how healthcare systems can deliver high-value, person-centred care to effectively impact social drivers of health and wellbeing. In Canada, there are a handful of groups and institutions that have recognized the potential for LHS to transform status quo intersections of learning, evidence, and everyday care, however, these efforts remain siloed with lessons learned not widely spread. To address this fragmentation and cultivate harmonized leadership, knowledge exchange, and capacity building, the Learning Health Hub was launched. Serving as a centralized network for those doing LHS work, the mission of the Learning Health Hub is to foster collaboration and integration of LHS work in Canada, disseminate best practices for LHS, and enhance collective capacity to drive improvements in healthcare quality and outcomes. To support these goals, map out assets, identify needs and barriers, and build momentum for larger-scale impact, the Learning Health Hub sought to first identify priority challenges that exist within Canadian LHS. With this understanding, the Hub will support those developing relevant and effective strategies and approaches and pave the way for meaningful and sustainable change in healthcare systems across the country.
In June 2024, the Learning Health Hub hosted a virtual symposium to convene patient partners, researchers, health professionals, system operators, trainees, and policymakers doing LHS work and facilitate necessary dialogue on challenges to this work. This free symposium was broadly advertised in established networks using social media and e-mail lists, and within professional and patient partner networks.
Methods: Through facilitated small-group generative activities, participants were tasked with brainstorming and prioritizing key challenges experienced in their LHS work in Canada, and to describe possible approaches to solution these key challenges. Following each of these generative activities, a large group debrief allowed participants to share, discuss, and further contextualize these challenges and solutions. Annotated generative guides completed by small group facilitators, notes from symposium leads, and messages contributed to the chat were collected, analyzed, and interpreted.
Findings: Over two half-days, the LHH virtual symposium included over 120 attendees from across Canada representing broad sectors, settings, and roles. Identified priority challenges included those related to facilitating patient partnership, creating enabling environments, and evaluation. Laying the groundwork for the development of a learning agenda, symposium findings will support future research, policy, and practice efforts to drive meaningful and sustainable change in healthcare systems across Canada. By harnessing national momentum and promoting diverse partnerships, the Learning Health Hub will support the transformational and agile uptake of evidence and foster a culture of shared values, learning, and continuous improvement. This includes a focus on the mechanisms and processes of care integration and the ways that care delivery can capture and address structural and social determinants of health, support cross-sectoral care delivery, and leverage existing data infrastructure.