Enhancing Learning Health Systems in Primary and Community Care: Contributions of NHS Library and Knowledge...

Learning communities driving the data-knowledge-practice learning cycle are at the core of learning health systems (LHS). With the right team in place, including knowledge management expertise, LHS accelerates improvements, delivering on the healthcare quadruple aim and health equity. Within the National Health Service (NHS) in England, knowledge management and librarian expertise exist mainly within acute hospital settings. This makes it harder for those developing LHS in community health settings to benefit from this expertise.

Three proof-of-concept studies are described in this experience report, and results present the learning from surveys, after-action reviews, and impact case studies. Results explore the value of placing an embedded knowledge specialist alongside primary healthcare professionals; discovery work about partnership approaches to delivering knowledge and library services within integrated care systems; and work in partnership with public libraries helping citizens to navigate digital health so they can be informed partners in LHS.

The three initiatives demonstrate the role of knowledge specialists within LHS teams to accelerate knowledge into practice. Knowledge specialists curate collections of biomedical knowledge and present research in decision-ready formats to expedite evidence-informed decision-making, underpinning knowledge into action. In addition, they encourage tacit knowledge sharing and help establish learning communities and partnerships. However, traditional structures in England raise operational barriers which prevent this from happening at scale and suggestions are made to redress this inequity.

Knowledge management specialist roles contribute to the creation of learning cultures within community settings, acting as knowledge intermediaries, enabling LHS to thrive. The aim of sharing this learning is to encourage others developing LHS to consider how they can leverage the expertise of health librarians and knowledge specialists to put in place one of the building blocks of a successful LHS.