Learning Health Systems Are Resilient Health Systems Comment on “Re-evaluating Our Knowledge of Health System Resilience During COVID-19: Lessons From the First Two Years of the Pandemic”
Saulnier’s review, “Re-evaluating Our Knowledge of Health System Resilience During COVID-19: Lessons From the First Two Years of the Pandemic,” analyzes health systems resilience in the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. A key finding was the importance of learning. In this commentary, we argue that strengthening systems-level learning capabilities could build resilient health systems. Drawing on learning theories and evidence from organizational resilience and management scholarship, we link the concept of learning loops with Blanchet’s resilience capacities framework, demonstrating the importance of higher levels of learning to build adaptive and transformative resilience capacities. We also argue for an increased focus on power analysis to analyze what is learned, who learns it, and who responds as determining factors to adaptation and transformation. Future research should empirically investigate the extent to which different types of learning supports – or impedes – the building of resilient health systems.
Blanchet K, Nam SL, Ramalingam B, Pozo-Martin F. Governance and capacity to manage resilience of health systems: towards a new conceptual framework. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2017;6(8):431-435. doi:15171/ijhpm.2017.36
Saulnier DD, Duchenko A, Ottilie-Kovelman S, Tediosi F, Blanchet K. Re-evaluating our knowledge of health system resilience during COVID-19: lessons from the first two years of the pandemic. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2023;12:6659. doi:34172/ijhpm.2022.6659
Witter S, Thomas S, Topp SM, et al. Health system resilience: a critical review and reconceptualisation. Lancet Glob Health. 2023;11(9):e1454-e1458. doi:1016/s2214-109x(23)00279-6
Fridell M, Edwin S, von Schreeb J, Saulnier DD. Health system resilience: what are we talking about? A scoping review mapping characteristics and keywords. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2020;9(1):6-16. doi:15171/ijhpm.2019.71
Sheikh K, Peters D, Agyepong IA, Abimbola S, Ghaffar A, Swaminathan S. Learning is a means to progress and empowerment for health systems. BMJ Glob Health. 2022;7(Suppl 7):e010572. doi:1136/bmjgh-2022-010572
Argyris C. Double loop learning in organizations. Cambridge: Harvard University; 1977.
Tosey P, Visser M, Saunders MN. The origins and conceptualizations of ‘triple-loop’ learning: a critical review. Manag Learn. 2012;43(3):291-307. doi:1177/1350507611426239
Easterling D, Perry AC, Woodside R, Patel T, Gesell SB. Clarifying the concept of a learning health system for healthcare delivery organizations: implications from a qualitative analysis of the scientific literature. Learn Health Syst. 2022;6(2):e10287. doi:1002/lrh2.10287
Bishai D, Saleh BM, Huda M, et al. Practical strategies to achieve resilient health systems: results from a scoping review. BMC Health Serv Res. 2024;24(1):297. doi:1186/s12913-024-10650-8
Millimouno TM, Meessen B, Put WV, et al. How has Guinea learnt from the response to outbreaks? A learning health system analysis. BMJ Glob Health. 2023;8(2):e010996. doi:1136/bmjgh-2022-010996
Saulnier DD, Topp SM. We need to talk about 'bad' resilience. BMJ Glob Health. 2024;9(2):e014041. doi:1136/bmjgh-2023-014041
van de Bovenkamp H, de Graaff B, Kalthoff K, Bal R. The patient representation struggle during the COVID-19 pandemic: missed opportunities for resilient healthcare systems. Health Expect. 2024;27(1):e13877. doi:1111/hex.13877
Witter S, Sheikh K, Schleiff M. Learning health systems in low-income and middle-income countries: exploring evidence and expert insights. BMJ Glob Health. 2022;7(Suppl 7):e008115. doi:1136/bmjgh-2021-008115
Orth D, Schuldis PM. Organizational learning and unlearning capabilities for resilience during COVID-19. Learn Organ. 2021;28(6):509-522. doi:1108/tlo-07-2020-0130
Neill, R., & Peters, M. A. (2024). Learning Health Systems Are Resilient Health Systems Comment on “Re-evaluating Our Knowledge of Health System Resilience During COVID-19: Lessons From the First Two Years of the Pandemic”. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 13(1), 1-4. doi: 10.34172/ijhpm.8676
MLA
Rachel Neill; Michael A. Peters. "Learning Health Systems Are Resilient Health Systems Comment on “Re-evaluating Our Knowledge of Health System Resilience During COVID-19: Lessons From the First Two Years of the Pandemic”", International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 13, 1, 2024, 1-4. doi: 10.34172/ijhpm.8676
HARVARD
Neill, R., Peters, M. A. (2024). 'Learning Health Systems Are Resilient Health Systems Comment on “Re-evaluating Our Knowledge of Health System Resilience During COVID-19: Lessons From the First Two Years of the Pandemic”', International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 13(1), pp. 1-4. doi: 10.34172/ijhpm.8676
VANCOUVER
Neill, R., Peters, M. A. Learning Health Systems Are Resilient Health Systems Comment on “Re-evaluating Our Knowledge of Health System Resilience During COVID-19: Lessons From the First Two Years of the Pandemic”. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 2024; 13(1): 1-4. doi: 10.34172/ijhpm.8676
)
