Relational interventions for organizational learning: An experience report

Quality improvement and implementation science practitioners identify relational issues as important obstacles to success. Relational interventions may be important for successful performance improvement and fostering Learning Health Systems.

This case report describes the experience and lessons learned from implementing a relational approach to organizational change, informed by Relational Coordination Theory, in a health system. Structured interviews were used to obtain qualitative participant feedback. Relational Coordination was measured serially using a validated seven-item survey.

An initial, relational intervention on one unit promoted increased participant engagement, self-efficacy, and motivation that led to the spontaneous, emergent dissemination of relational change, and learning into other parts of the health system. Staff involved in the intervention reported increased systems thinking, enhanced focus on communication and relationships as key drivers for improvement and learning, and greater awareness of organizational change as something co-created by staff and executives.

This experience supports the hypothesis that relational interventions are important for fostering the development of Learning Health Systems.