Ministry of Health Library

Health Improvement and Innovation Digest

Issue 142 - 11 May 2017

Welcome to the fortnightly Health Improvement and Innovation Digest (formerly the HIIRC digest). The Digest has links to key evidence of interest, with access to new content arranged by topic.

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Have you heard about Grey Matter?

We'd like to introduce you to another newsletter that the Ministry of Health Library prepares.  The Grey Matter newsletter provides monthly access to a selection of recent NGO, Think Tank, and International Government reports related to health. Information is arranged by topic, allowing readers to quickly find their areas of interest.  If you'd like to subscribe to Grey Matter, email library@moh.govt.nz

Article access

For articles that aren't open access, contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance in accessing the full text. If your organisation has a subscription, you may be able to use the icon under full text links in PubMed to access the full article.

Quality Improvement (New Zealand)

Increasing patient engagement in healthcare service design: a qualitative evaluation of a co-design programme in New Zealand
The Health & Quality Safety Commission New Zealand commissioned Ko Awatea, an innovation and improvement centre, to deliver a co-design programme to nine teams of healthcare providers. The co-design programme was part of Partners in Care, a broader programme developed in 2012 to support and enable patient engagement and participation across the health and disability sector. This study, published in the Patient Experience Journal, evaluated the co-design programme to explore the experiences, challenges and solutions that participating teams encountered while engaging with patients in their projects.

Quality Improvement (International)

Examining the nature of interprofessional interventions designed to promote patient safety: a narrative review
This narrative review, published in the International Journal for Quality in Health Care, aimed to scope the patient safety literature to identify interprofessional intervention approaches, sources of evidence and reported outcomes.

Hospital Productivity (New Zealand)

A multifaceted intervention to improve primary care radiology referral quality and value in Canterbury
This article, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, describes a seven-year multifaceted intervention leading to sustained improvement in primary care radiology referral quality and value in Canterbury, New Zealand, and discusses the transferability to other health systems.

Shorter Stays In Emergency Departments (International)

Two Hour Evaluation and Referral Model for Shorter Turnaround Times in the emergency department
The objective of this study, published in Emergency Medicine Australasia, was to assess the implementation of a novel emergency department model of care, which combines clinical streaming, team-based assessment and early senior consultation to reduce length of stay.

More Heart and Diabetes Checks (New Zealand)

The Use of Telehealth to Reduce Inequalities in Cardiovascular Outcomes in Australia and New Zealand: A Critical Review
Telehealth, the delivery of health care services at a distance using information and communications technology, is one means of redressing inequalities in cardiovascular outcomes for disadvantaged groups in Australia. This critical review, published in Heart, Lung and Circulation, argues that there is sufficient evidence to move to larger-scale implementation of telehealth for acute cardiac, acute stroke, and cardiac rehabilitation services.

More Heart and Diabetes Checks (International)

Mobile phone text messaging to improve medication adherence in secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease
Worldwide at least 100 million people are thought to have prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD). This population has a five times greater chance of suffering a recurrent cardiovascular event than people without known CVD. Secondary CVD prevention is defined as action aimed to reduce the probability of recurrence of such events. Drug interventions have been shown to be cost-effective in reducing this risk and are recommended in international guidelines. However, adherence to recommended treatments remains sub-optimal. In order to influence non-adherence, there is a need to develop scalable and cost-effective behaviour-change interventions. The objective of this Cochrane Review was to assess the effects of mobile phone text messaging in patients with established arterial occlusive events on adherence to treatment, fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events, and adverse effects.

Primary Health Care (New Zealand)

Development of a Culturally Tailored Text Message Maternal Health Program: TextMATCH
Mobile phones are increasingly being used to deliver health information and health services globally. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions may be well-suited for minority groups with greater barriers to accessing traditional health services. However, little has been written about the process of culturally adapting interventions for multiple ethnic and cultural minorities within a population. This study, published in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, describes the process of developing a culturally tailored text message-based maternal health program (TextMATCH: Text for MATernal and Child Health) for Māori, Pacific, Asian, and South Asian families living in New Zealand.

‘Everyone’s talking Jadelle’: the experiences and attitudes of service providers regarding the use of the contraceptive implant, Jadelle in young people in New Zealand
The contraceptive implant Jadelle, along with other types of long-acting reversible contraception, is thought to be an ideal choice for young people wanting to avoid pregnancy, however, uptake is low. This study, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, aimed to explore the attitudes and experiences of health professionals regarding the use of Jadelle in teenagers.

Development and outcomes of a primary care-based sleep assessment service in Canterbury, New Zealand
Prior to 2007, increasing demand for sleep services, plus inability to adequately triage severity, led to long delays in sleep assessment and accessing continuous positive airway pressure. This paper, published in NPJ Primary Care Respiratory Medicine, describes the process of setting-up a community based sleep service, with initial assessment being undertaken in general practice, linked to a multi-disciplinary meeting (MDM) process and specialist sleep diagnostics and treatment based out of Christchurch Hospital. The primary objectives of the service were to provide rapid and easily accessed sleep assessment within the community.

An organisational study into the impact of mobile devices on clinician and patient experience in Auckland, New Zealand
Mobile technology has potential to improve workflow, patient safety and quality of care, and has been identified as an important enabler of community services. This study, published in Patient Experience Journal, explores the impact of mobile device use on clinician and patient experiences.

Primary Health Care (International)

The Effects of Feedback on Adherence to Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of RCTs
The aim of this systematic review, published in American Journal of Preventive Medicine, is to determine whether providing feedback, guided by subjective or objective measures of adherence, improves adherence to treatment.

Health literacy interventions for immigrant populations: a systematic review
Health literacy is considered a social health determinant that influences improvement in health, patient empowerment and reduction in inequalities. There is a lack of health literacy interventions for vulnerable social groups (i.e. immigrants), and nurses have shown little familiarity with the concept. This study, published in International Nursing Review, aimed to identify and analyse whether interventions directed at immigrant populations improve the functional (basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills), interactive (social and cognitive skills) and critical (advanced cognitive and social skills in critically analyzing information and making informed decisions) dimensions of health literacy, taking into account the role played by nursing in these interventions.

Interventions to reduce wait times for primary care appointments: a systematic review
Accessibility and availability are important characteristics of efficient and effective primary healthcare systems. Currently, timely access to a family physician is a concern in Canada. Adverse outcomes are associated with longer wait times for primary care appointments and often leave individuals to rely on urgent care. When wait times for appointments are too long patients may experience worse health outcomes and are often left to use emergency department resources. The primary objective of this study, published in BMC Health Services Research, was to systematically review the literature to identify interventions designed to reduce wait times for primary care appointments. Secondary objectives were to assess patient satisfaction and reduction of no-show rates.

Primary Mental Health (New Zealand)

Suicide mortality among Pacific peoples in New Zealand, 1996-2013
The aim of this study, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, was to describe trends in suicide mortality for Pacific peoples in New Zealand by reviewing official data over the period 1996-2013.

Ethnic inequality in diagnosis with depression and anxiety disorders
This study, published in New Zealand Medical Journal, explored ethnic disparities in self-reported diagnosis of depression or an anxiety disorder by a doctor, relative to scores on the screening measure for these same forms of mental illness in a probability sample of New Zealand adults.

Primary Mental Health (International)

Young people, mental health practitioners and researchers co-produce a Transition Preparation Programme to improve outcomes and experience for young people leaving Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
In the UK young people attending child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) are required to move on, either through discharge or referral to an adult service, at age 17/18, a period of increased risk for onset of mental health problems and other complex psychosocial and physical changes. CAMHS transitions are often poorly managed with negative outcomes for young people. Better preparation may improve outcomes and experience. This study, published in BMC Health Services Research, aimed to co-produce, with young people who had transitioned or were facing transition from CAMHS, a CAMHS Transition Preparation Programme (TPP), deliverable in routine NHS settings.

Increased Immunisation (International)

Two-dose schedules for human papillomavirus vaccine: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Simpler schedules for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine delivery could improve vaccine coverage and the effectiveness of cervical cancer prevention. The objective of this study, published in Vaccine, was to systematically review evidence about the effects of two-dose compared with three-dose schedules for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and to describe the uptake of two-dose HPV vaccination schedules globally.

Better Help for smokers to Quit (International)

Tobacco packaging design for reducing tobacco use
Tobacco use is the largest single preventable cause of death and disease worldwide. Standardised tobacco packaging is an intervention intended to reduce the promotional appeal of packs and can be defined as packaging with a uniform colour (and in some cases shape and size) with no logos or branding, apart from health warnings and other government-mandated information, and the brand name in a prescribed uniform font, colour and size. The objective of this Cochrane Review was to assess the effect of standardised tobacco packaging on tobacco use uptake, cessation and reduction.

Weight Management (New Zealand)

Home availability of fruit and vegetables and obesogenic foods as an indicator of nutrient intake in 50 year olds from Canterbury, New Zealand
The home food environment is known to influence children's diet and selected health outcomes. However, similar research in adults is scarce. The home is arguably the most important food environment for New Zealand adults as the majority of food consumed is stored and prepared in the home. This study, published in Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, investigated relationships between home food availability and nutrient intake in 50 year olds from Canterbury, New Zealand.

Physical Activity Prevalence and Correlates Among New Zealand Older Adults
The aim of this study, published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity , was to provide up-to-date information about physical activity (PA) levels in New Zealand older adults to inform the development and targeting of relevant health promotion initiatives.

Weight Management (International)

Use of Fitness and Nutrition Apps: Associations With Body Mass Index, Snacking, and Drinking Habits in Adolescents
Efforts to improve snacking and drinking habits are needed to promote a healthy body mass index (BMI) in adolescents. Although commercial fitness and nutrition mobile phone apps are widely used, little is known regarding their potential to improve health behaviors, especially in adolescents. In addition, evidence on the mechanisms through which such fitness and nutrition apps influence behavior is lacking. This study, published in JMIR Mhealth Uhealth, assessed whether the use of commercial fitness or nutrition apps was associated with a lower BMI and healthier snacking and drinking habits in adolescents.

Texting and Mobile Phone App Interventions for Improving Adherence to Preventive Behavior in Adolescents: A Systematic Review
Many preventable behaviours contribute to adolescent mortality and morbidity. Non-adherence to preventive measures represents a challenge and has been associated with worse health outcomes in this population. The widespread use of electronic communication technologies by adolescents, particularly the use of text messaging (short message service, SMS) and mobile phones, presents new opportunities to intervene on risk and preventive risk behavior, but little is known about their efficacy. This study, published in JMIR Mhealth Uhealth, aimed to systematically evaluate evidence for the efficacy of text messaging and mobile phone app interventions to improve adherence to preventive behaviour among adolescents and describe intervention approaches to inform intervention development.

Childhood Obesity (International)

Improving Self-Regulation for Obesity Prevention in Head Start: A Randomized Controlled Trial
The objective of this study, published in Pediatrics, was to determine the effect of an intervention to improve emotional and behavioural self-regulation in combination with an obesity-prevention program on the prevalence of obesity and obesity-related behaviours in preschoolers.

Oral Health (International)

Oral Health Programmes in Indigenous Communities Worldwide—Lessons learned from the field: A qualitative systematic review
This systematic review, published in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, examines the evidence on the effectiveness of programmes that aim to improve the oral health of Indigenous populations worldwide, as well as presents a qualitative analysis to explore the design and implementation of these initiatives.

Māori Innovation

A critical exploration of a collaborative Kaupapa Māori consistent research project on physician-assisted dying
This paper, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, critically explores the research approach undertaken by Māori and tauiwi researchers working alongside kaumātua within the context of physician-assisted dying.

Key Ministry of Health Publications

Health and Independence Report 2016
The Health and Independence Report is the Director-General of Health’s annual report on the state of public health in New Zealand. The 2016 report draws from a range of information sources to present a picture of the health of New Zealanders.