Creating a rapid-learning health system in Ontario
Publication year: 2018
Ontario has both a health system and a research system that
are increasingly putting patients and rapid learning and
improvement at their centre. For the health system, a recent
notable example of such efforts was the Patients First Act
2016 which, among other things, mandated the creation of
Patient and Family Advisory Councils at multiple levels in
the health system,(4) the formalization of LHIN sub-regions
as the focal point for local improvements to the patient
experience, and the preparation of annual Quality
Improvement Plans by many health organizations. For the
research system, a notable example is the efforts by the
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MoHLTC) and the
Ontario SPOR SUPPORT Unit (OSSU) to support the
conduct and use of patient-oriented research.