Wednesday, April 2, 2025
4/2/2025
Learning Health System Embedded Scientist Training and Research (LHS E-STaR) of theNorth (LEaRN) - PROJECT SUMMARY (Overall) A lag between biomedical research discoveries and the implementation of findings in clinical care is widely recognized and primarily attributed to a disconnect between researchers and practitioners. One study found that over the course of 17 years, only 14% of clinical research findings led to direct patient benefit. A reason research findings are often do not implemented in clinical practice is because health services research takes place over extended timeframes and researchers place an emphasis on publishing their findings in scientific journals with less attention to application. Moreover, most researchers are typically external to healthcare systems, conducting their research in universities or research firms. Closing the gap in translating research findings to clinical care requires a new way of conducting research by embedding researchers in health care systems, allowing them to engage in rapid, iterative learning in which evidence informs practice, and practice informs evidence. The vision of the proposed Learning Health System Embedded Scientist Training and Research (LHS E-STaR) of the North (LEaRN) Center is to leverage and extend existing infrastructure and partnerships established at the University of Minnesota (UMN) under the Minnesota Learning Health System K12 Mentored Career Development Program (MN-LHS) and its Center for Learning Health System Sciences (MN-CLHSS). The LEaRN Center will accelerate the professional development and patient-centered outcomes and comparative effectiveness research (PCOR/CER) conducted by specially trained, embedded LHS researchers in the Minnesota health care system and beyond. The LEaRN Center represents a partnership between UMN and five hub partner sites with established traditions of academic excellence and collaboration between clinicians and embedded scientists with demonstrated success achieving the long-term goal to expand and diversify the LHS-research trained workforce. Led by MPIs Timothy Beebe and Genevieve Melton-Meaux, the LEaRN Center will leverage the unique strengths of five hub partners to provide diverse didactic and experiential research and training opportunities to LHS scientists to equip them with the LHS tools and expertise to make meaningful differences in health care settings serving children, the elderly, under-represented and rural populations, Veterans, and individuals with multiple disorders. The LEaRN Center will address five Aims: leverage and expand existing LHS infrastructure and partnerships to identify and nurture a new generation of embedded LHS scholars (Aim 1); enhance the diversity of LHS scientists, their science and their mentors (Aim 2); create a novel LHS infrastructure that supports the conduct, dissemination, implementation, and use of PCOR/CER in healthcare system (Aim 3); create learning communities and networks to convene, deliberate, and share knowledge (Aim 4); and implement a rigorous system for program evaluation and improvement (Aim 5). The LEaRN Center will cultivate the next generation of LHS scientists with the expertise, field experience, and community and professional partnerships to close the gap between researchers and clinicals and assume LHS leadership roles.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).