title: A rapid-learning health system.
abstract: Private- and public-sector initiatives, using electronic health record (EHR) databases from millions of people, could rapidly advance the U.S. evidence base for clinical care. Rapid learning could fill major knowledge gaps about health care costs, the benefits and risks of drugs and procedures, geographic variations, environmental health influences, the health of special populations, and personalized medicine. Policymakers could use rapid learning to revitalize value-based competition, redesign Medicare's payments, advance Medicaid into national health care leadership, foster national collaborative research initiatives, and design a national technology assessment system.
authors.affiliation: Rapid Learning Project, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA. lyneth1@aol.com
authors.forename: Lynn M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Etheredge
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics; D009310:National Health Insurance, United States; D017149:Private Sector; D040442:Public Health Informatics; D017150:Public Sector; D012041:Regional Medical Programs; D018511:Systems Integration; D017749:Total Quality Management; D014481:United States