Learning healthcare systems: how to improve health system sustainability in the era of climate change

Healthcare systems in their current state are failing to provide high-value, quality care. In addition to pressures from the recent pandemic and ageing populations, low-value and wasteful practices are threatening the sustainability of healthcare systems and are subsequently contributing to healthcare’s substantial carbon footprint. With climate change placing human and planetary health at risk, it is more important now than ever that strategies are implemented to ensure the safe and effective delivery of carbon-neutral care. The Learning Health System (LHS) has been proposed to address these issues by aligning multiple domains, including science and informatics, incentives, a continuous learning culture, and structure and governance. This chapter explores how an LHS framework can be adopted into different healthcare settings to lower the carbon footprint of care while simultaneously increasing the value of care delivered to patients.