Overview
A Learning Health System (LHS) is focused on continuously improving health services for everyone – decision makers, service providers and, most importantly, clients and their families. An LHS uses real-time data to build new knowledge, which is used to inform practice, such as health care services. Ongoing service delivery creates more data and leads to more knowledge, and so the cycle continues. Ideally, this cycle of continuous learning means that client services can be quickly optimized to be the best possible based on available information. It also means research findings are implemented into practice in a timely manner – this could include using standards around best practices and guidelines.
Foundry is working to fully implement an LHS framework into its integrated youth services (IYS). As part of this effort, Foundry is collaborating with multiple IYS initiatives across Canada in an IYS network of networks called IYS-Net.
In Phase 0, Foundry is testing an IYS-LHS framework. The project will assess 1) the barriers and facilitators to implementing this framework to support the adoption of IYS standards and 2) the actions Foundry can take to share lessons with other IYS initiatives across Canada to support standards implementation. The results will provide key information for creating standards for IYS to improve outcomes and experiences for youth and families/caregivers across Canada.
This study is led by Dr. Skye Barbic (Head Scientist at Foundry and Associate Professor at University of British Columbia) and Dr. Steve Mathias (Co-Executive Director at Foundry and Clinical Associate Professor at University of British Columbia).
Funders
This study is funded by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) sponsored by the CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA), in partnership with Health Canada, the Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (SPOR) and the Graham Boeckh Foundation.
Resources