Funding Learning Health System Research: Challenges and Strategies.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Translational Science
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Learning Health System (LHS) programs are increasingly adopted by health systems to enhance internal operations and performance.
• A key challenge for LHS initiatives is navigating the complexities of research funding.
• Tensions exist between securing external research grants and directly contributing to the learning and improvement of the researchers' own health system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the funding challenges encountered by Learning Health System (LHS) research programs.
• To identify strategies for managing the inherent tensions between external research funding and internal system improvement goals.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative case studies were conducted across 5 health systems.
• Data collection involved 38 semistructured interviews with 35 diverse respondents between October 2019 and April 2021.
• Inductive and deductive rapid qualitative analysis was employed for data interpretation.

Main Results:

• External funding supported internal learning and scientific advancement but sometimes conflicted with system leaders' and practitioners' needs.
• Gaps emerged between external funding requirements and internal project needs regarding objectives, applicability, and timelines.
• LHS researchers benefited from collaboration with clinicians and adapting to shorter, dynamic projects; strategies like aligning research with system needs and diversifying funding proved effective.

Conclusions:

• LHS program leaders must balance externally funded research with the mission of serving their own system to foster internal learning and improvement.
• Health system executives can support LHS programs by setting clear goals, providing adequate resources, and fostering a supportive environment for teamwork and skill development.