Patients Charting the Course: Citizen Engagement and the Learning Health System

Patients Charting the Course: Citizen Engagement and the Learning Health System summarizes the 2-day workshop convened in April 2010 to identify and reflect upon current strategies and programs advancing public understanding of a transformative, patient-centered learning health system. Stakeholders and leaders within the health sector identified patients and providers as the groups who must be fully engaged to reform the current health system infrastructure, and discussed ways to involve these key constituents. The meeting provided a forum for participants to further discuss issues in communication strategies around science-driven care, patient engagement, and health information technology. This volume of presentations and discussions provides insights and reflections from government leaders, patient advocacy groups, health providers, manufacturers, and other key stakeholders about the issues that must be addressed to reform the way evidence is generated and used to improve health and health care. Participants discussed issues such as the structural details of a system of real-time and continuous learning that anticipates research needs and produces evidence that is timely and applicable; the importance of clinical data, health management, and health information technology as drivers during the information age; patient engagement to improve science and value; and the formation of a patient-centered culture focused on applying evidence and embracing team-based healthcare approaches.