Facilitators of and barriers to patient and public involvement in building learning health systems in community health services settings: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

Introduction: The development of learning health systems (LHSs) has often focused on optimally leveraging data. More attention should be paid to patient and public involvement or community engagement in forming learning communities that work together to build LHS. This scoping review aims to identify facilitators of and barriers to involving patients and the public in building LHSs in community health services settings.

Methods and analysis: We will use the Joanna Briggs Institute's scoping review methodology. We will review literature in English published from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2022. The databases that will be searched are MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, AgeLine, PsycINFO and Web of Science. Key inclusion and exclusion criteria include the following: we will only consider a learning community in a community health services context (eg, home care, long-term care, primary care); we will exclude literature on acute care settings; and we will consider any research designs apart from big data analytics. We will review all sources, including university student theses and dissertations. The review will proceed in three steps: (1) we will identify keywords and index terms from the MEDLINE and CINAHL databases; (2) using the keywords and index terms identified in step (1), we will search other databases and (3) we will handsearch the reference lists of the selected literature and will search for grey literature using Google. Two research assistants will screen the titles and abstracts separately, with reference to the inclusion criteria. Two researchers will then assess the full text of selected studies, also in reference to the inclusion criteria. We will present the findings in a charting table and provide a narrative summary.

Ethics and dissemination: This work does not require ethics approval because the data for this scoping review are publicly available. The findings will be presented in a journal article and at conferences.

Keywords: health policy; health services accessibility; public health.