The Value of Learning Collaboratives: Experiences From Several Residency Networks

The 2023 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education guidelines highlight learning collaboratives as the "optimal way to facilitate [family medicine residency] programs' ability to attain their educational and community aims." As a result, many residency programs are seeking to develop, expand, or sustain learning collaboratives. This study aims to provide practical advice, examples, and encouragement for residency programs interested in creating or participating in a learning collaborative, based on lessons learned from the representatives' collective experiences. A purposive sampling of five learning collaboratives at various stages of development and growth was conducted to capture a representative range of models. Data were collected through participatory engagement and refined through iterative rounds of member checking. Despite differences in form and structure, learning collaboratives share commonalities in the support they provide their participants. They encounter common barriers and rely on similar strategies for success.