What should a learning health system look like? (22 August 2025)

Summary

Learning health systems have been defined as “a team, provider or group of providers in the health and care system that, working with a community of stakeholders, has developed the ability to learn from its own delivery of routine care and improve as a result”. The concept of learning health systems is gaining traction, including as a means of accelerating the translation of clinical evidence into practice. But how can healthcare system leaders and researchers ensure that their development moves beyond aspirations and rhetoric?

The authors of this study draw on the experience of their collaborative evolution towards a primary care learning health system and consider the conditions necessary for such a system. They call for greater integration of research and quality improvement and a sharper definition of learning health systems.