Learning Health Systems strives to elevate patient-centred care

A framework that supports a systematic approach to meeting patient needs in care delivery is gaining traction among teams at Vancouver Coastal Health.

Learning Health Systems is an increasing priority at Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) that champions continuous learning through knowledge, practice and data collection to improve patient outcomes and experiences. Driven by the VCH value “we are always learning,” the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation (C2E2) at VCHRI is working to expand the reach and adoption of Learning Health Systems at VCH.

“Learning Health Systems enhances quality improvement at VCH by explicitly integrating research and implementation science into care delivery,” says VCHRI researcher Dr. Donald Griesdale. “Importantly, the approach emphasizes the inclusion of patient-identified priorities and patient partners in decision-making.”

A recent example of Learning Health Systems in action at VCH was a review of antipsychotic reduction strategies at VCH long-term care facilities conducted in collaboration with patient partners. The project was led by UBC School of Social Work PhD student Karen Wong and supervised by VCHRI researcher Dr. Lillian Hung and senior Learning Health Systems lead Dr. Krisztina Vasarhelyi. 

“We had on the team a patient partner living with dementia who provided in-depth and valuable feedback: from the formation of the research questions all the way through to the research process,” says Vasarhelyi. “Other patient partners with lived experience and their family members also regularly attended project team meetings, informing and co-creating our research.”

Continue reading the VHCRI article here.