Chapter 3. Structure of Learning Network

The six health centers participated in the initiative from June 2006 to January 2007. Data collection was only for the 6 months of July through December 2006.

Learning Sessions

Three Learning Sessions of approximately 4 hours in length were held for teams from each health center from 8 a.m. until 12 noon. Initially 8-hour Learning Sessions were planned, but clinics decided that 4-hour sessions in the morning would be less interruptive for patient care. The health centers selected their clinic champions to participate in the sessions, and representatives from the State health department and the primary care association attended. AHRQ and Delmarva staff facilitated the meetings. With only 4 hours for Learning Sessions, participants were interested in having time to share and learn from other clinics rather than experts presenting on the subject. Learning Sessions occurred in July and September 2006 and January 2007.

Faculty designed the sessions to meet the stated needs of the health centers and provided assistance in selecting the interventions, tools, measures, individual goals, and data collection methods. These sessions also offered an opportunity for participants to share their successes and challenges and get feedback from peers and faculty.

Site Visits and Telephone Conference Calls

To better understand the challenges of each clinic and to provide on-site consultation and training, faculty conducted site visits prior to the first Learning Session and at least once during the remainder of the initiative. Patient self-management training for providers was offered, and the Colorado clinics requested that this be provided. Jessica Sanchez, the Colorado consultant, provided this training at each clinic during her on-site visit.

To maximize interaction among participating clinic teams, two telephone conference calls occurred to discuss progress, challenges, and options for solutions.

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