UF CTSI Learning Health System
Overview
The Learning Health System Program is committed to strengthening the capacity of UF Health as a learning health system and advancing implementation science.

About the Program
The CTSI Learning Health System Program pursues the development and piloting of implementation strategies at UF Health that can ultimately be adapted and scaled for use in other healthcare settings. The program collaborates with the CTSI’s statewide research partners, including the OneFlorida Clinical Research Consortium, UF Health Precision Medicine Program, and other initiatives
“Implementation is the use of strategies to adopt and integrate evidence-based health interventions that change practice patterns and improve health.”
Annual NIH Conference on Implementation and Dissemination
Implementation science is a multidisciplinary field that aims to promote health by improving the quality, effectiveness, and sustainability of health services by promoting the systematic uptake of research findings and evidence-based practices into routine practice. Implementation science emphasizes outcomes that consumers, practitioners, and communities value, thus taking a patient- and community-centered approach.

Program Goals
Goal 1
Promote Research
To promote research on the dissemination and implementation of clinical research findings in healthcare settings.
goal 2
Team Science
To promote innovative, multidisciplinary team science that connects researchers from across the university with community clinicians and patients to conduct high-quality research in “real-world” settings.
Goal 3
Pragmatic Trials
To consult with researchers and community clinicians to develop research ideas and clinical problems into pragmatic trials.
goal 4
Disseminate
To create a learning health system by conducting research within UF Health and disseminating the research findings to health system administrators and policymakers.
Program Activities & Resources
Dissemination & Implementation Science Core
The Dissemination and Implementation Science core consults with investigators across the academic health center to improve research and evaluation of evidence-based health interventions. We provide expertise in D&I methodology, including study design, conceptual frameworks, implementation strategies and measurement.
LHS Operations Committee
The Learning Health System Program’s Operations Committee meets monthly to set program goals and direct the program’s activities. The Operations Committee is comprised of leadership, faculty, and staff from UF Health and across the university. The committee’s diversity, enthusiasm, and dedication promote the collaboration required for a learning health system.
Implementation Science Studios
Each semester, the program offers Implementation Science Studios, which are multidisciplinary roundtable discussions of implementation science-related research proposals and ideas. Scientists, methodologists, community clinicians, patients and research coordinators participate in the studio process and provide concrete, actionable advice.
The Citizen Scientist Program
The Citizen Scientist Program was developed to engage patients and community members as collaborators throughout the research process, including identifying study topics, study design, recruitment, retention, interpretation of findings, and information dissemination.
NIH Resources
The NIH supports dissemination and implementation (D&I) research on how evidence-based practices, interventions, and policies are effectively translated to and used in real-world settings like hospitals, schools, and communities.
Education
Implementation Science
Graduate Programs
The Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics offers several graduate programs with a focus on implementation science
Leadership
director
Ramzi G. Salloum, Ph.D.
Dr. Salloum is the director of the Learning Health System Initiative at the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute and associate professor in the Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics at the UF College of Medicine. His research considers the economic implications of the implementation and dissemination of evidence-based practices.

CO-DIRECTOR
Elizabeth A. Shenkman, Ph.D.
As Co-Director of the Learning Health System initiative, Dr. Shenkman interfaces with clinicians, health system leaders, researchers, and patients to align research and clinical operations to improve health outcomes and advance health equity.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Jennifer H. LeLaurin, Ph.D., MPH
As the Assistant Director for the Learning Health System initiative, Jennifer provides expertise in the use of qualitative and mixed-methods approaches to support implementation and technology-based interventions in clinical settings.

Affiiliated faculty and staff
Implementation science faculty and staff from the Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics are located on the 2nd floor of the north wing of the Clinical and Translational Research Building.
Events, Seminars, & Deadlines
Learning Health System
Upcoming Events
-
Jul 05
-
LHS Operations Committee Monthly Meeting
4:00pm to 5:00pm
-
-
Aug 02
-
LHS Operations Committee Monthly Meeting
4:00pm to 5:00pm
-
-
Sep 06
-
LHS Operations Committee Monthly Meeting
4:00pm to 5:00pm
-
-
Oct 04
-
LHS Operations Committee Monthly Meeting
4:00pm to 5:00pm
-
-
Nov 01
-
LHS Operations Committee Monthly Meeting
4:00pm to 5:00pm
-
LHS RESEARCH DAY
2023 CTSI Learning Health System Research Day
LHS Research Day: April 10 2023
Join us for our program’s first Research Day to recognize and celebrate the multidisciplinary research and implementation of evidence-based practices.

Questions? Please contact:
learning health system research coordinator
Jacqueline De La Cruz, MPH
Email: delacruz.j@ufl.edu | Phone: (352) 627-9086