In this module you will explore how learning health systems, driven by patient-centred data, can be used to overcome the shortcomings of existing frameworks of evidence-based healthcare and healthcare quality improvement with real-world examples. You will learn the theoretical frameworks and discuss the role of information and evidence in ensuring safe and high quality healthcare, and will investigate the challenges in managing and sustaining change. The role of healthcare governance and regulation in quality will also be addressed. You will also explore the steps required to create learning health systems. Over the course of the module, you will develop your skills of information retrieval and evidence synthesis and become confident in critically appraising sources.

By the end of this module students will be able to:

Review the merits and demerits of theoretical frameworks of quality.
	Critique approaches to defining quality metrics in healthcare.
	Explain the principles of evidence based healthcare and their contribution to patient care and service delivery.
	Understand the concept of a learning health system
	Demonstrate the ability to identify, extract, critically appraise and apply information to address a range of healthcare situations.
	Suggest strategies for implementation of learning health systems.
The module is delivered through web-based distance learning in the UCL Virtual Learning Environment plus a 3-day face-to-face teaching session.

Friedman C, Rigby M. (2013) Conceptualising and creating a global learning health system. Int J Med Inform. Apr;82(4):e63-71.

Friedman C, Rubin J, Brown J, Buntin M, Corn M, Etheredge L, Gunter C, Musen M, Platt R, Stead W, Sullivan K, Van Houweling D. (2015) Toward a science of learning systems: a research agenda for the high-functioning Learning Health System. J Am Med Inform Assoc. Jan;22(1):43-50.

Sackett DL, Rosenberg WM, Gray JA, Haynes RB, Richardson WS. (1996) Evidence based medicine: what it is and what it isn't. BMJ. Jan 13;312(7023):71-2.

Banerjee A, Stanton E, Lemer C, Marshall M. (2012) What can quality improvement learn from evidence-based medicine? J R Soc Med. Feb;105(2):55-9.