The Learning Health System (LHS) is a model in which science, informatics, incentives and culture align to improve care quality and generate novel findings which readily translate directly into routine care. Most training programs focus on supporting knowledge generation but do not support the development of researchers trained to embed within a LHS and efficiently translate their research into patient centered care. We propose A Chicago Center of Excellence in Learning Health Systems Research Training (ACCELERAT) to develop the next generation of health system transformation leaders. ACCELERAT is anchored by a tightly integrated team of Northwestern University researchers and Northwestern Medicine health care quality experts, along with the living laboratory of the 11 health care institutions across Chicago which constitute the PCORnet Clinical Data Research Network, the Chicago Area Patient Centered Outcomes Research Network (CAPriCORN). Core training domains in ACCELERAT are led by experts in mentorship and training, health services research, informatics, patient reported outcomes, quality improvement in health systems, and fostering a culture of change. The systems and clinics in Northwestern Medicine and CAPriCORN have advanced use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) specifically for Quality Improvement (QI) and Patient Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR). The diverse institutions in ACCELERAT provide care across the patient life spectrum from pediatrics to geriatrics, and across all care settings (from pre-patient to acute inpatient care and rehabilitation). Our faculty and pool of eligible scholar candidates are diverse and draw from the Chicagoland region, with several faculty who lead their own related training programs. The proposed K12 Scholars Program will reside within the Northwestern Institute for Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM), with multiple centers that will provide rich resources for the program. Chief amongst these are two centers led by the MPIs: The Center for Health Information Partnerships (CHIP, Director Kho) and the Center for Patient- Centered Outcomes (CPCO, Director Cella). ACCELERAT will serve as a national leader in teaching core LHS research competencies aimed to train our future LHS leaders to transform care delivery and advance PCOR within the context of delivering quality health care. To achieve this, we draw upon deep commitment and broad expertise and resources across Northwestern University, the Northwestern Medicine health system, and PCORnet's CAPriCORN consortium. Across the five years of the program, Scholars will benefit from a structured didactic program to ensure mastery of core competencies, coupled with a tailored mentoring and health system navigation approach to advance their careers. The training program will be evaluated and advised through a novel combination of formative and summative Scholar-focused reviews.
We propose A Chicago Center of Excellence in Learning Health Systems Research Training (ACCELERAT) to develop the next generation of health system transformation leaders. ACCELERAT is anchored by a tightly integrated team of Northwestern University researchers and Northwestern Medicine health care quality experts, along with the living laboratory of the 11 health care institutions across Chicago which constitute the PCORnet Clinical Data Research Network, the Chicago Area Patient Centered Outcomes Research Network (CAPriCORN). ACCELERAT will serve as a national leader in teaching core learning health system research competencies aimed to train future leaders to transform care delivery and advance patient- centered research while also delivering quality health care.
