Learning Health System Integration for Next-Level Rehabilitation Care: LINK Project

Learning Health System (LHS) aims to continuously integrate clinical data and patient outcomes to enhance care quality, efficiency, and patient experience by leveraging real-time data and fostering a culture of shared learning. Following its relocation to a state-of-the-art facility in 2020, the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) presents a unique opportunity to embed LHS concepts into its rehabilitation services. This transition also provides a critical moment to explore interdisciplinary team (IDT) dynamics, decision-making practices, and collaborative frameworks, all aimed at improving team effectiveness and patient outcomes. 

LHS principles promote the integration of research, clinical practice, and data analytics to create a feedback loop for continuous care improvement. In rehabilitation settings, the adoption of LHS can lead to more personalised, patient-centred care by facilitating collaboration within IDTs. NRH has embraced this approach, aligning with the LHS model to deliver holistic, adaptive, and data-driven care. 

Research team conducted a scoping review, and four themes were identified for implementing an LHS in rehabilitation settings as, 1) Creating a functioning data infrastructure, 2) Ensuring data quality, 3) Assembling a multidisciplinary team, and 4) Addressing institutional characteristics such as communication and organisational learning. To make our LHS framework more actionable, research team presented the results of this scoping review and asked over 40 healthcare professionals and researchers to prioritise them during a workshop at ICIC 24. 

Current presentation initiates three work packages (WPs) for exploring the implementation of LHS concepts at NRH. WP1 involves consultation with staff through a World Café process, gathering insights from healthcare staff to develop the roadmap of LHS. WP2 focuses on co-design workshops with working groups to define LHS goals, integrate patient-centred care, and establish an implementation strategy. WP3 will continuously evaluate the impact of LHS on rehabilitation services at NRH, ensuring iterative refinement and learning across the hospital. 

The LINK project will contribute valuable insights into how LHS principles can transform rehabilitation care, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, patient engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration.