Ministry of Health Library

Health Improvement and Innovation Digest

Issue 146 - 6 July 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.

You can forward this newsletter to others who may be interested in receiving it. They can register and subscribe here. You can also access other recent issues of the digest here.

If you have any queries, please email us at library@moh.govt.nz.

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.

Shorter Waits for Cancer Treatment (New Zealand)

Colorectal cancer screening: How health gains and cost-effectiveness vary by ethnic group, the impact on health inequalities, and the optimal age-range to screen
Screening programmes consistently underserve indigenous populations despite a higher overall burden of cancer. In this study, published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, the authors explore the likely health gains and cost-effectiveness of a national colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programme for the indigenous Māori population of New Zealand (NZ).

Shorter Stays In Emergency Departments (International)

The effectiveness of emergency nurse practitioner service in the management of patients presenting to rural hospitals with chest pain: a multisite prospective longitudinal nested cohort study
Health reforms in service improvement have included the use of nurse practitioners. In rural emergency departments, nurse practitioners work to the full scope of their expanded role across all patient acuities including those presenting with undifferentiated chest pain. This study, published in BMC Health Services Research, explores the effectiveness of emergency nurse practitioner service in rural emergency departments in Australia.

Emergency Department wait time sharing: Do patients contribute to efficiency?
Inefficiency commonly results in overcrowding of the Emergency Department (ED) and is a problem for many hospitals. When a condition of overcrowding exists, it is often associated with lower patient satisfaction, lower care quality, and decreased financial position of the hospital. To improve patient throughput efficiency, hospitals use a variety of strategies including posting ED wait times on the hospital website and the use of ED reservation systems. This study, published in the Journal of Hospital Administration, investigates these two hospital strategies used to inform patients of anticipated wait times in the ED and their associations with patient throughput efficiency.

More Heart and Diabetes Checks (International)

Evaluation of community provision of a preventive cardiovascular programme - the National Health Service Health Check in reaching the under-served groups by primary care in England: cross sectional observational study
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of premature mortality and a major contributor of health inequalities in England. Compared to more affluent and white counterparts, deprived people and ethnic minorities tend to die younger due to preventable CVD associated with lifestyle. In addition, deprived, ethnic minorities and younger people are less likely to be served by CVD prevention services. This study, published in BMC Health Services Research, assessed the effectiveness of community-based outreach providers in delivering England’s National Health Services (NHS) Health Check programme, a CVD preventive programme to under-served groups.

Primary Health Care (New Zealand)

Inequity in timing of prenatal screening in New Zealand: Who are our most vulnerable?
In New Zealand (NZ), Maori and Pacific women are less likely to complete prenatal screening for Down's syndrome and other aneuploidies than other ethnic groups. Young women under 20 have low rates of completed screening compared with women over 20 years. Women living in deprived areas have lower completed screen rates than women living in more affluent areas. The purpose of this study, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, was to evaluate the association of ethnicity, deprivation, District Health Board (DHB) of domicile and maternal age with timing of prenatal screening (first vs second trimester) in pregnant women screened in NZ from 2010 to 2013.

Wahakura Versus Bassinet for Safe Infant Sleep: A Randomized Trial
The objective of this study, published in Pediatrics, was to compare an indigenous sleep device (wahakura) for infants at high risk for sudden unexpected death with a bassinet, for measures of infant sleep position, head covering, breastfeeding, bed-sharing, and maternal sleep and fatigue.

Primary Mental Health (New Zealand)

Exposure to suicide behaviour and individual risk of self-harm: Findings from a nationally representative New Zealand high school survey
The purpose of this article, published in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, was to examine whether there is an association between students self-reported suicide attempts and non-suicidal self-injury and exposure to suicidal behaviour among friends, family members or within school communities.

Social anxiety apps: a systematic review and assessment of app descriptors across mobile store platforms
The aim of this systematic review, published in Evidence-based Mental Health, is twofold: (1) to characterise the purpose and description of available social anxiety apps and (2) to review the evidence on the effectiveness of social anxiety apps.

Non-suicidal self-injury and suicide attempts in a New Zealand birth cohort
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide attempts are related, but distinct behaviours. The primary aim of the current study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, was to identify factors that distinguish those with different lifetime histories of self-injury. A secondary aim was to test whether lifetime history of self-injury at age 26 predicted current suicide ideation at age 32.

Primary Mental Health (International)

First, Do No Harm: Referring Primary Care Patients with Depression to an Internet Support Group
Internet Support Groups (ISGs) offer people easy access to information regarding depression as well as support from others who are either currently suffering from depression or have previously suffered from depression. This study, published in Telemedicine Journal and e-health, explored the safety and efficacy of ISGs for people with depression.

Better Help for smokers to Quit (New Zealand)

Impact of removing point-of-sale tobacco displays: data from a New Zealand youth survey
The tobacco industry increasingly invests in point-of-sale (POS) marketing. In July 2012, New Zealand required the removal of POS tobacco displays concurrently with increased enforcement and penalties for selling tobacco to minors, and additional restrictions on tobacco sponsorship. This study, published in Tobacco Control, evaluated the impact of these measures using a before–after study.

Weight Management (New Zealand)

Paying for convenience: comparing the cost of takeaway meals with their healthier home-cooked counterparts in New Zealand
Convenience and cost impact on people's meal decisions. Takeaway and pre-prepared foods save preparation time but may contribute to poorer-quality diets. This study, published in Public Health Nutrition, analysed the impact of time on relative cost differences between meals of varying convenience contributes to understanding the barrier of time to selecting healthy meals.

Weight Management (International)

Effectiveness of a motivational intervention on overweight/obese patients in the primary healthcare: a cluster randomized trial
Overweight and obesity are common health problems which increase the risk of developing several serious health conditions. The main difficulty in the management of weight-loss lies in its maintenance, once it is achieved. The aim of this study, published in BMC Family Practice, was to investigate whether a motivational intervention, together with current clinical practice, was more efficient than a traditional intervention, in the treatment of overweight and obesity and whether this intervention reduces cardiovascular risk factors associated with overweight and obesity.

Diet, physical activity and behavioural interventions for the treatment of overweight or obese adolescents aged 12 to 17 years
Adolescent overweight and obesity has increased globally, and can be associated with short- and long-term health consequences. Modifying known dietary and behavioural risk factors through behaviour changing interventions (BCI) may help to reduce childhood overweight and obesity. The objective of this Cochrane Review was to assess the effects of diet, physical activity and behavioural interventions for the treatment of overweight or obese adolescents aged 12 to 17 years.

Diet, physical activity and behavioural interventions for the treatment of overweight or obese children from the age of 6 to 11 years
Child and adolescent overweight and obesity has increased globally, and can be associated with significant short- and long-term health consequences. The objective of this Cochrane Review was to assess the effects of diet, physical activity and behavioural interventions (behaviour-changing interventions) for the treatment of overweight or obese children aged 6 to 11 years.

Screening for Obesity in Children and Adolescents: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement
Approximately 17% of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years in the United States have obesity, and almost 32% of children and adolescents are overweight or have obesity. Obesity in children and adolescents is associated with morbidity such as mental health and psychological issues, asthma, obstructive sleep apnea, orthopedic problems, and adverse cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes. The purpose of this statement, published in JAMA, is to update the 2010 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on screening for obesity in children 6 years and older.

Childhood Obesity (New Zealand)

Gene-By-Activity Interactions on Obesity Traits of Six Year Old New Zealand European Children: A Children of SCOPE Study
The decline of physical activity in children is considered an important determinant to explain the rising rates of obesity. However, this risk may be augmented in children who are genetically susceptible to increased weight gain. This study, published in Pediatric Exercise Science, hypothesised that a sedentary lifestyle and moderate activity will interact with genetic loci, resulting in differential effects in relation to obesity risk.

Childhood Obesity (International)

Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Children and Youth through Gardening-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review
Although there are numerous health benefits associated with eating fruit and vegetables (F/V), few children are consuming recommended amounts. Gardening interventions have been implemented in various settings in an effort to increase children's F/V consumption by expanding knowledge, exposure, and preferences for a variety of F/V. The purpose of this review, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, was to identify the effectiveness of gardening interventions that have been implemented to increase F/V consumption among children.

Infant feeding and growth trajectory patterns in childhood and body composition in young adulthood
Growth patterns of breastfed and formula-fed infants may differ, with formula-fed infants growing more rapidly than breastfed infants into childhood and adulthood. The objectives of this study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, were to identify growth patterns and investigate early nutritional programming potential on growth patterns at 6 years and on body composition at 20 years.

Key Ministry of Health Publications

Increasing Deceased Organ Donation and Transplantation: A National Strategy
Organ donation is a very special gift. It is voluntary and the decision of family and whānau on behalf of their loved one will always be respected. This strategy is to encourage and make it easier for New Zealanders to make their donation wishes known to family and whānau. It also aims to help people make the most appropriate decision with the best possible support and confidence.

New Zealand Health Research Strategy 2017-2027
The New Zealand Health Research Strategy 2017-2027 sets a vision that, by 2027, New Zealand will have a world-leading health research and innovation system. There are four guiding principles for the system: research excellence; transparency; partnership with Māori and collaboration for impact.

The information available on or through this newsletter does not represent Ministry of Health policy. It is intended to provide general information to the health sector and the public, and is not intended to address specific circumstances of any particular individual or entity.