Learning Resource Center (LRC) Project Best Practices and Lessons Learned

Excerpt from website of American International Health Alliance

"The central goal of the "Learning Resource Center" (LRC)project is to promote improved healthcare practices and behaviors by increasing access to health information. For health professionals to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease effectively, access to the most current research and information is critical; in isolation from the ever-changing body of clinical research, practices become outdated and healthcare quality declines. Similarly, policy-makers, educators, and public health professionals can significantly improve their work by learning from the methodologies and practices of others. By taking advantage of the capabilities of the Internet, healthcare institutions can now access more information-and more importantly, current information-than was previously available to them and at a fraction of the cost of maintaining journal subscriptions.

The LRC model is remarkably simple and one that is relatively easy to replicate and adapt. It involves two capacity-building components. The first is technological, involving the establishment of one or more dedicated computer workstations with Internet access. The second and equally important component is the staffing resource embodied by the LRC manager, known as the information coordinator. This individual holds the key to the successful implementation of the LRC model. The information coordinator provides the essential leadership to promote the widest possible use of the LRC, to provide training and resources to colleagues, to work closely with the institutional administration, and to continuously develop his or her own knowledge and skills. In combination, these two components-dedicated resources and appropriate personnel-provide the necessary elements for successful application of information and communication technologies to healthcare improvement.

This report provides specific guidelines and recommendations that can be applied wholly or in part by healthcare institutions worldwide that are seeking to adapt the LRC model to improve the quality of healthcare they provide. These recommendations are broken down into seven categories, representing the different ways that information and communications technologies can impact health..."

Click here for the report in PDF format.