The Learning Exchange, a Community Knowledge Commons for Learning Networks: Qualitative Evaluation to Test Acceptability, Feasibility, and Utility

Abstract

Background Learning Networks are distributed learning health systems that enable collaboration at scale to improve health and health care. A key requirement for such networks is having a way to create and share information and knowledge in furtherance of the work of the community. Objective We describe a Learning Exchange—a bespoke, scalable knowledge management and exchange platform initially built and tested for improving pediatric inflammatory bowel disease outcomes in the ImproveCareNow (ICN) Network—and assess evidence of its acceptability, feasibility, and utility in facilitating creation and sharing of information in furtherance of the work of the community and as a model for other communities. Methods Acceptability was assessed via growth in active users and activity. Feasibility was measured in terms of the percentage of users with a log-in who became active users as well as user surveys and a case study. Utility was measured in terms of the type of work that the Learning Exchange facilitated for the community. Results The ICNExchange has over 1000 users and supported sharing of resources across all care centers in ICN. Users reported that the Learning Exchange has facilitated their work and resulted in increased ability to find resources relevant to local information needs. Conclusions The ICNExchange is acceptable, feasible, and useful as a knowledge management and exchange platform in service of the work of ICN. Experience with the ICNExchange suggests that the design principles are extensible to other chronic care Learning Networks.

Using mHealth to Increase the Reach of Local Guidance to Health Professionals as Part of an Institutional Response Plan to the COVID-19 Outbreak: Usage Analysis Study

“…mHealth solutions are increasingly used, gaining relevance among health professionals, and may represent an interesting solution to disseminate information to and among HCWs [ 13 - 15 ]. Other technological initiatives have been described during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the elaboration of an electronic health record tool to support clinical care for patients with COVID-19 and to monitor different clinical characteristics (case identification, isolation procedures, adherence to patient screening, real-time data sharing) in their hospital [ 23 ].…”

“…One example is ICNexchange, which is a Pinterest-based platform that provides medical information to pediatric patients under treatment for inflammatory bowel disease. ICNexchange’s feasibility, acceptability, and utility was shown in a recent quantitative analysis of user activity [ 15 ].…”

Aiming for quality: a global compass for national learning systems

“…The concept of a “learning network” was used to refer to either learning collaboratives or learning systems [ 122 , 123 ]. However, learning networks could also be defined as a method for bringing learning systems together around a common theme such as primary care [ 86 , 124 , 125 ]. There are few studies in the literature on learning networks, in particular on a global scale.…”

Therapeutic Inertia in Pediatric Diabetes: Challenges to and Strategies for Overcoming Acceptance of the Status Quo

“…Quality improvement science offers a methodology to identify an aim, evaluate complex contributors to the goal, and test potential interventions to achieve outcomes of interest. Networks of clinical sites working in collaboration with quality improvement methods provide an evolving mechanism for dissemination and widespread application of best practices (64)(65)(66)(67). Persistent advocacy for innovative and affordable treatment options is necessary in the current health care climate, with disruptive do-it-yourself solutions in the diabetes community often acting as an accelerator.…”