Evaluating a learning health system initiative: Lessons learned during COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Introduction: Evaluating a learning health system (LHS) encourages continuous system improvement and collaboration within the healthcare system. Although LHS is a widely accepted concept, there is little knowledge about evaluating an LHS. To explore the outputs and outcomes of an LHS model, we evaluated the COVID-19 Evidence Support Team (CEST) in Saskatchewan, Canada, an initiative to rapidly review scientific evidence about COVID-19 for decision-making.

Developing a rapid evidence response to COVID-19: The collaborative approach of Saskatchewan, Canada.

Introduction: The COVID-19 Evidence Support Team (CEST) was a provincial initiative that combined the support of policymakers, researchers, and clinical practitioners to initiate a new learning health cycle (LHS) in response to the pandemic. The primary aim of CEST was to produce and sustain the best available COVID-19 evidence to facilitate decision-making in Saskatchewan, Canada. To achieve this objective, four provincial organizations partnered to establish a single, data-driven system.