Abstract
Background/Aims
A learning health care organization requires visionary leadership to achieve the triple aim of better health, better care, and improved affordability. Effective research-operations partnerships (ROPs) can facilitate improvement efforts. Although ROPs are not novel, the process of establishing sustainable collaborations and overcoming challenges to achieve shared objectives is not well described.
Methods
In 2012, the executive leadership of Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) made a multi-million dollar investment by creating the Care Improvement Research Team (CIRT) within the Department of Research and Evaluation. Members of this team developed and refined ideas about ROPs by reviewing published literature, conducting semi-structured interviews with key operational leaders, consulting with experts, and sponsoring an all-day retreat on this theme.
Results
Key elements of the initiative include: (1) recruitment of health care researchers with complementary clinical and methodological experience, supported by an expert consultant in implementation science; (2) selection of research questions that are clearly aligned with organizational priorities; (3) development of strong, sustainable relationships with key stakeholders across multiple levels of the organization, through outreach and embedding of researchers in operational work groups; (4) dedication of internal funds to cover effort of research support staff; (5) creation of a strategic plan to define roles, responsibilities, and goals that allow for measurement of the program’s success. Key challenges to overcome include: (1) limited availability of external funds to support research that addresses operational imperatives; (2) mismatched timelines and incentives; (3) legal constraints that hamper data sharing between research and operations; and (4) balancing research rigor with operational relevance.
Conclusions
Prioritizing competing initiatives, identifying opportunities for early success, and aligning operational priorities with research opportunities will require continued effort. Given the austere external funding environment, novel ways to support delivery system science are needed. The creation of the CIRT at KPSC represents a strategic investment from visionary leaders who embody the credo to “be the best at getting better” and who recognize that the development of strong and sustainable ROPs will be invaluable if we are to achieve the triple aim.
Keywords: Partnerships, Care improvement