Learning Health Systems
Collaboration, engagement and knowledge-sharing remain core values of IYS. Central to IYS research and practice, researchers and networks employ a Learning Health System (LHS) approach to ensure continuous innovation.
An LHS embeds and applies research, data, experience and knowledge into processes, policies and practice. LHSs follow the learning cycle, a continuous feedback loop that builds and evolves around real-time experiences of working with young people, families and communities.
The learning cycle
*Adapted from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
In a Learning Health System (LHS), practice, data and knowledge keep connecting in a cycle.
Practice to data
Each IYS network gathers the same data, like who is using the services, what kind of help they get, who is giving the support and how well does it work.
Data to knowledge
Data helps us to learn new things, like which youth are not finding support, how many staff are needed and which ways of helping youth are working best.
Knowledge to practice
New learnings are used to improve services and build IYS capacity through training or other resources. The improvements could include making access to services and outcomes more equitable and providing more culturally appropriate and culturally-specific services.