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IntroductionInformation is a prerequisite for quality healthcare service. Health professionals play a key role in the health system as they jointly have the responsibility of looking after patients everyday. Failure to use evidence in medicine may lead to medical errors such as incorrect diagnosis and/or mismanagement. Health professionals with access to quality health information can improve health services. This study focuses on the information behaviour of doctors and nurses whose role involves direct patient care.Methods and analysisThis study will employ a quantitative approach using a cross-sectional survey design. Simple random sampling will be used to identify the provinces and hospitals. Stratified random sampling will be used to select doctors and nurses to whom a validated questionnaire will be administered. The study will use a structured self-administered questionnaire. Data collection will be carried out at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, Witbank Hospital, Pietersburg Hospital and Robert Mangaliso Hospital, respectively. Questionnaires are distributed to health professionals in one of two ways. First, by emailing an editable Microsoft word document (questionnaire) to the health professionals to complete and send back. Second, by sharing with the health professionals through WhatsApp or email, an online version of the questionnaire that has been created on Google Forms. Data collection process is scheduled to commence on 14 March 2022 and is expected to end on the 15 September 2022.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was obtained from the University of the Witwatersrand Human Research Ethics Committee (reference: M211013) and Walter Sisulu University Human Research Ethics and Biosafety Committee (reference: 099/2021). Permission to access the health facilities was approved by the Provincial Health Research Committees of the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Northern Cape. Finally, results will be shared with all key stakeholders, including hospital management, clinical staff, through public presentation and direct engagements with stakeholders.

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IntroductionIn today’s highly competitive environment, where changes happen at a rapid pace, organisations that stand a chance to survive are those that are proactive and easily adapt to changes. Hospitals are faced with various challenges including scrutiny from stakeholders. This study seeks to investigate learning strategies used by hospitals in one of South Africa’s provinces to achieve the principle of a learning organisation.Methods and analysisThis study will employ a quantitative approach using a cross-sectional survey on health professionals of a South African province. Stratified random sampling will be used to select hospitals and participants in three phases. The study will use a structured self-administered questionnaire, designed to collect data on learning strategies used by hospitals to achieve the principle of a learning organisation between June and December 2022. Descriptive statistics (mean, median, percentages, frequency, etc) will then be used to describe the raw data and allow the discovery of patterns. Inferential statistics will also be used to make inferences and predictions about the learning habits of health professionals in the selected hospitals.Ethics and disseminationThe approval to access the research sites with reference number: EC_202108_011 has been granted by the Provincial Health Research Committees of the Eastern Cape Department. Ethical clearance with Protocol Ref no: M211004 has been approved at the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Witwatersrand. Finally, results will be shared with all key stakeholders, including hospital management, clinical staff, through public presentation and direct engagements with stakeholders. The findings may guide hospital leaders and other relevant stakeholders to develop guidelines and policies on creating a learning organisation that contributes to the improvement of quality patient care.

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