Miake-Lye Isomi, Mak Selene, Valente Tom, Floyd Nicole, Shekelle Paul
VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System Los Angeles California USA.
Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health University of California Los Angeles California USA.
Learn Health Syst. 2025 Mar 8;9(3):e70004. doi: 10.1002/lrh2.70004. eCollection 2025 Jul.
The Veterans Administration Evidence Synthesis Program (VA ESP) was established in 2007 to support evidence-based decisions about policies and programs in the VA healthcare system and has served as a critical component in the VA learning health system. Our objective was to document the growth of the ESP partner network and key policy and practice impacts of the program through a descriptive social network analysis and case series. We also aimed to provide insights into key features of some successful partnerships and the role evidence synthesis can play in supporting the improvement of the health system.
Using social network analysis and national ESP program data, we depicted the network at its initial, fully operational, and established phases of development to describe over a decade of ESP partnerships. We also queried program leadership and ESP partners about their collaboration experiences to generate a case series that demonstrates key examples of successful partnerships.
Of the 82 partner offices for whom the ESP has generated a report, over half (66%, = 54) collaborated with the ESP on multiple projects, having received two or more synthesis products over time. Case studies revealed the impacts of ESP evidence synthesis on policy and practice, how our partners used the evidence generated from these processes, and the future work spawned from these efforts. While infrastructure and formal mechanisms can support these connections, relationships and partnering are instrumental facets as well.
Partnerships between the ESP and decision-makers can facilitate access to evidence and leadership's ongoing use of this evidence. The ESP has led to meaningful, evidence-driven communication between research and operational partners and has supported stakeholders in informing policy and system change.
退伍军人事务部证据综合项目（VA ESP）成立于2007年，旨在为退伍军人事务部医疗系统中有关政策和项目的循证决策提供支持，并已成为退伍军人事务部学习型健康系统的关键组成部分。我们的目标是通过描述性社会网络分析和案例系列记录ESP合作伙伴网络的发展以及该项目的关键政策和实践影响。我们还旨在深入了解一些成功合作关系的关键特征以及证据综合在支持卫生系统改善方面可以发挥的作用。
利用社会网络分析和国家ESP项目数据，我们描绘了该网络在其初始、全面运作和成熟发展阶段的情况，以描述ESP十多年来的合作关系。我们还向项目领导层和ESP合作伙伴询问了他们的合作经验，以生成一个案例系列，展示成功合作关系的关键例子。
在ESP为其生成报告的82个合作伙伴办公室中，超过一半（66%，n = 54）与ESP在多个项目上进行了合作，随着时间的推移收到了两份或更多的综合产品。案例研究揭示了ESP证据综合对政策和实践的影响、我们的合作伙伴如何使用这些过程中产生的证据以及这些努力所催生的未来工作。虽然基础设施和正式机制可以支持这些联系，但关系和合作也是重要的方面。
ESP与决策者之间的合作关系可以促进获取证据以及领导层对这些证据的持续使用。ESP促成了研究与运营合作伙伴之间有意义的、基于证据的沟通，并支持利益相关者为政策和系统变革提供信息。
