Lessons from the Field

Three medical staff members consult on a open gallery

AHRQ asked healthcare systems how they became learning health systems. Their experiences are below.

How Learning Health Systems Learn: Lessons from the Field

AHRQ conducted site visits at a few leading organizations to learn about the steps they have taken to move evidence to the frontlines of care. How Learning Health Systems Learn: Lessons from the Field gathered information that could be shared with other organizations involved in the journey toward becoming a learning health system and to identify ways in which AHRQ could support this process.

Learning Health Systems Case Studies

AHRQ developed a series of case studies to help health system chief executive officers and other C-suite leaders better understand the concept of a learning health system and the value of making investments in transformation. Building this understanding is part of the Agency’s ongoing effort to accelerate learning and innovation in healthcare delivery in order to ensure that people across America receive the highest quality, safest, most up-to-date care.

As these case studies show, becoming an LHS is an iterative journey characterized by strong leadership, effective use of data in the clinical setting, and both a culture and a workforce committed to continuous learning and improvement.

Case Studies

Case studies Overview—Learning Health Systems: Making the Case Against Business as Usual (PDF, 105.5 KB).
Baylor Scott & White Health: Building a Foundation for Continuous Improvement (PDF, 246.6 KB).
Denver Health: How a Safety Net System Maximizes Its Value (PDF, 162.15 KB).
HCA Healthcare: How a Large Healthcare System Is Looking Beyond the Electronic Health Record (PDF, 195.4 KB).
University of Utah Health: Creating a Formula for Value-Based Care (PDF, 263.5 KB).

Page last reviewed May 2019
Page originally created April 2019

Internet Citation: Lessons from the Field. Content last reviewed May 2019. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/learning-health-systems/lessons-from-the-field.html