Healthcare organizations can create a continuously learning healthcare system by leveraging technology and working together to coordinate care, according to a report by the Institute of Medicine Committee on the Learning Health Care System in America.
The report, "Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America," describes the vision of a continuously learning healthcare system and how this system can increase quality and reduce costs.
The IOM Committee made the following 10 recommendations (pdf) to drive continuous improvement in healthcare:
2. The data utility. Streamline and revise research regulations to improve care, promote the capture of clinical data and generate knowledge.
4. Patient-centered care. Involve patients and families in decisions regarding health and healthcare, tailored to fit their preferences.
5. Community links. Promote community-clinical partnerships and services aimed at managing and improving health at the community level.
6. Care continuity. Improve coordination and communication within and across organizations.
7. Optimized operations. Continuously improve healthcare operations to reduce waste, streamline care delivery and focus on activities that improve patient health.
9. Performance transparency. Increase transparency on healthcare system performance.
10. Broad leadership. Expand commitment to the goals of a continuously learning healthcare system.
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The report, "Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America," describes the vision of a continuously learning healthcare system and how this system can increase quality and reduce costs.
The IOM Committee made the following 10 recommendations (pdf) to drive continuous improvement in healthcare:
Foundational elements
1. The digital infrastructure. Improve the capacity to capture clinical, care delivery process and financial data for better care, system improvement and the generation of new knowledge.2. The data utility. Streamline and revise research regulations to improve care, promote the capture of clinical data and generate knowledge.
Care improvement targets
3. Clinical decision support. Accelerate integration of the best clinical knowledge into care decisions.4. Patient-centered care. Involve patients and families in decisions regarding health and healthcare, tailored to fit their preferences.
5. Community links. Promote community-clinical partnerships and services aimed at managing and improving health at the community level.
6. Care continuity. Improve coordination and communication within and across organizations.
7. Optimized operations. Continuously improve healthcare operations to reduce waste, streamline care delivery and focus on activities that improve patient health.
Supportive policy environment
8. Financial incentives. Structure payment to reward continuous learning and improvement in the provision of best care at lower cost.9. Performance transparency. Increase transparency on healthcare system performance.
10. Broad leadership. Expand commitment to the goals of a continuously learning healthcare system.
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