Pittsburgh Regional Healthcare Initiative: a systems approach for achieving perfect patient care.

The Pittsburgh Regional Healthcare Initiative (PRHI) is an innovative model for health system change based on regionwide shared learning. By linking patient outcomes data with processes of care and sharing that information widely, PRHI supports measurable improvements in regionwide clinical practice and patient safety. In addition, through the redesign of problem solving at the front lines of care, PRHI helps health care organizations to evolve toward becoming sustainable systems of perfect patient care. This paper describes PRHI's design for change, reviews the progress and limitations of the shared learning model, and offers a set of broader policy considerations.