Building a learning healthcare organisation by fostering organisational learning through a process centric view of Knowledge Management

The US healthcare system needs to be redesigned into an intelligent health system that maximises technology and utilises valuable knowledge assets for which healthcare organisations must become learning organisations. The objective of this paper is to provide a link between the principles of organisational learning and Knowledge Management (KM) to build learning healthcare organisations. The major thrust is that the human side of the organisation must lead the initiative and not the other way around. The paper distinguishes organisational learning as a structure laying foundation for learning, and learning organisation as a process for maintaining and perpetuating learning in the organisation, supported by incorporating a process centric view of KM, realised its establishment. Moreover, healthcare is a knowledge intensive industry, KM is an integral component in building learning healthcare organisation.