Learning health systems from an academic perspective: establishing a collaboratory within a school of medicine and health sciences

Figures & data

Figure 1. Knowledge generation and translation in the GW collaboratory

Figure 2. Interconnected knowledge nodes in the GW collaboratory

Table 1. Activities and services of the GW collaboratory*

Activities

Organize regular events/webinars

Develop membership within/across knowledge nodes

Organize annual symposium

Conduct research projects

Conduct educational projects

Services for members (clinicians, patients)

Access to events/webinars, educational materials, and symposium

Access to library resources

Consultancy service (e.g., for quality improvement projects)

Project support (e.g., for quality improvement projects)

Services for scholars (researchers, educators)

Research assistance

Grant writing support

Data storage

Access to software

Bibliography management

*The activities and services can be aimed at the GW Collaboratory in general or at specific knowledge hubs with in the GW Collaboratory

Table 2. GW collaboratory logic model

Inputs	Activities	Outputs	Outcomes
			Short-Term (≤2 Years)	Intermediate (2 to 5 Years)	Long-Term (≥ 5 Years)
Space	Outreach to GW faculty	Participation trends	Increased engagement with potential collaborators (with similar/overlapping interests)	Increased diversity in collaborator backgrounds and perspectives	Network of collaborators with shared research agenda
Support for 4 principal scholars	Regular events by Collaboratory (~ 2/month)	Attendance by event; relative value of events (# ideas generated, interest, outcomes, etc.)		Increased number of research collaborations
Administrative support (20%)	Focused projects within knowledge nodes	Research agendas for each knowledge node; # grants; # publications; # collaborators	Doctoral student involvement (immersions and independent studies)	Doctoral dissertation committee work	Doctoral students hired as RA on funded grants
Collaboratory members (scholars, students, etc.)	Focused projects across knowledge nodes	KT research agenda; # grants; # publications; # collaborators	Increased skill for engaging in scholarship (e.g., grant writing, publication)	Increased high visibility publications	Increased impact demonstrated on annual report (and APT dossiers)
Research assistance (doctoral student)	Outreach to practitioners, students, consumers, educators, external researchers, policymakers	Number of external participants; Diversity in disciplines/perspectives represented		Increased # of grant submissions
KT expertise	Develop shared resources and tools to educate and promote KT and scholarship	Range of topics; types and # of resources; # and type resources shared		Improved quality of grant submissions
Coordination with Associate Dean for Research initiatives	Establish framework, processes & procedures for knowledge brokering	Utility and efficiency of infrastructure to support knowledge brokering	KT-related doctoral involvement (immersions and coursework)	KT-related doctoral student dissertations	Global recognition for producing high quality scholarship at the intersections of healthcare, education and research
Operating funds (advertisement, events, etc.)	Advertise availability for consultations (faculty and practitioners)	# and type of consultations provided	Training services and library of tools used by educators, researchers, and providers	Regional recognition for educational and training programs	Global recognition for translating knowledge among audiences in healthcare, education and research
Consultants	Advertise availability for training regarding KT process and strategies	# and type training and learning exercises provided	Practitioner collaboration in grants/projects	Regional recognition as resource for KT training, consultation, and collaboration	Global recognition for promoting careers of researchers-clinicians-educators in academic healthcare settings
Travel	Technical assistance (study development, consultations, etc.)	# and type of requests for technical support provided	Host annual symposium related to KT/Collaboratory concept	Regional recognition for quality of symposiums	Global recognition for fostering an international community to advance continuous improvement and innovation in health education, healthcare and health systems
Time	Advisement and mentorship	# protégés; # advised	Increased # external grant submissions	Increased # of grants awarded	Faculty development model for other universities
Database	Collaborators, activities, costs, outcomes	Utility and efficiency for data retrieval and report generation	Increased # of publications	Increased interest in KT @ GW by new scholars and students	Recognized leader in initiatives to develop and test projects based on KT