The influence of the learning health system to address the COVID‐19 pandemic: An examination of early literature

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has demanded immediate response from healthcare systems around the world. The learning health system (LHS) was created with rapid uptake of the newest evidence in mind, making it essential in the face of a pandemic. The goal of this review is to gain knowledge on the initial impact of the LHS on addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: PubMed, Scopus and the Duke University library search tool were used to identify current literature regarding the intersection of the LHS and the COIVD-19 pandemic. Articles were reviewed for their purpose, findings and relation to each component of the LHS. Results: Twelve articles were included in the review. All stages of the LHS were addressed from this sample. Most articles addressed some component of interoperability. Articles that interpreted data unique to COVID-19 and demonstrated specific tools and interventions were least common. Conclusions: Gaps in interoperability are well known and unlikely to be solved in the coming months. Collaboration between health systems, researchers, governments and professional societies is needed to support a robust LHS which grants the ability to rapidly adapt to global emergencies.

Health workforce surge capacity during the COVID‐19 pandemic and other global respiratory disease outbreaks: A systematic review of health system requirements and responses

“…We systematically reviewed the research evidence on policy options to enhance HRH surge capacity and sustain post‐pandemic workforce deployment and management. The results revealed a wide range of topics addressing HRH supply/demand dynamics even with a relatively small sample of studies ( N = 16), a finding similar to reviews elsewhere of the early literature to address the COVID‐19 pandemic 42 . The results further underscored the scarcity of data‐driven evaluations of the impact of HRH governance inventions designed to address surge capacity.…”

“…While few studies were ultimately included for narrative analysis, and much of the available research was conducted before the full impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic can be known, these constraints are consistent with reviews elsewhere of HRH outcomes associated with infectious disease outbreaks 8 . It is noted that, in the COVID‐19 era, there has been a proliferation of academic and grey literature, often reporting on investigations undertaken rapidly and using non‐randomly collected data; the quality of the available evidence in situations involving coronavirus outbreaks has been widely found to be inconsistent 21,42,54 …”

“…8 It is noted that, in the COVID-19 era, there has been a proliferation of academic and grey literature, often reporting on investigations undertaken rapidly and using non-randomly collected data; the quality of the available evidence in situations involving coronavirus outbreaks has been widely found to be inconsistent. 21,42,54 An important limitation of the present results was the lack of a universal definition of 'surge capacity'.…”

“…The results revealed a wide range of topics addressing HRH supply/demand dynamics even with a relatively small sample of studies (N = 16), a finding similar to reviews elsewhere of the early literature to address the COVID-19 pandemic. 42 The results further underscored the scarcity of data-driven evaluations of the impact of HRH governance inventions designed to address surge capacity. Many of the narratively reviewed studies focussing on HRH productivity changes during a pandemic came from hypothetical scenario-based assessments in different hospital and community settings.…”

Appropriating integrated performance management tools in healthcare: a sociomaterial work story

“…, 2021; Denis et al. , 2021; Douthit, 2021). We argue that, at all stages from policy formulation to implementation, tools, institutions and people must be viewed as interconnected system partners in data-driven system change in health care in order to unleash the potential of tools as “effective integrators” of the technological, managerial, policy and delivery levels of health system performance and improvement (Bevir and Waring, 2020; Denis and Forest, 2012; Radnor et al.…”