Policy Capacity in the Learning Healthcare System; Comment on “Health Reform Requires Policy Capacity”

Gardner, William

doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2015.147

Policy Capacity in the Learning Healthcare System; Comment on “Health Reform Requires Policy Capacity”

Document Type : Commentary

Author

William Gardner

Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON, Canada

10.15171/ijhpm.2015.147

Abstract

Pierre-Gerlier Forest and his colleagues make a strong argument for the need to expand policy capacity among healthcare actors. In this commentary, I develop an additional argument in support of Forest et al view. Forest et al rightly point to the need to have embedded policy experts to successfully translate healthcare reform policy into healthcare change. Translation of externally generated innovation policy into local solutions is only one source of healthcare system change. We also need to build learning healthcare systems that can discover new health solutions at the frontline of care. Enhanced policy capacity staffing in those organizations will be key to building continuously learning health systems.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Health Policy

References

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