Issue 336 - 19 February 2026

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

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Article Access

For articles that aren't open access, contact your Health NZ district 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.

Māori Innovation

Māori Models of Adult Inpatient Mental Health Services: An Integrative Literature Review
Māori experience higher rates of mental health admissions, seclusions and poorer outcomes. Current mental health services are largely based on Western models of care and do not address the needs of Māori. This integrative review, published in the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, aimed to identify, critically appraise and synthesise evidence on Māori models of inpatient mental health services.

Compassionate communities, Māori ageing and end-of-life: A systematic review
Māori people in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia experience significant healthcare inequity as they age and towards the end of their lives. Compassionate community approaches to ageing and end-of-life care are increasing in popularity throughout the world. However, this approach has arisen from Eurocentric knowledge systems and not from First Nations people and their communities. This research, published in Palliative Care and Social Practice, aimed to gain insight into what the Compassionate Communities approach means for First Nations people and identify implications for Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.

Health Equity (New Zealand)

Co‐Designing a Peer Navigator Role to Improve Equity in Healthcare Access for Pacific Islander, Māori and Arabic Communities in Australia
There is a great deal of variation in the design and delivery of the peer health navigator role, making it difficult to adapt role responsibilities into context. This study, published in Health Expectations, aimed to co‐design a bicultural peer health navigator (BPHN) role to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people from Pacific Islander, Māori and Arabic‐speaking backgrounds.

Investigating the association between experiencing discrimination in healthcare settings and avoidance of healthcare services among Pacific Rainbow+ in Aotearoa New Zealand
This study, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, aims to investigate the relationship between experiences of discrimination (ethnic/race-based, gender and sexuality-based discrimination) in a healthcare setting, and healthcare services avoidance in Pacific Rainbow+ in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Health Equity (International)

Public health policies and interventions to address health inequities in high-income countries: an umbrella review
Health inequity: defined as systematic and avoidable difference in health outcome, remain entrenched across high-income countries, with socioeconomic gaps in life expectancy exceeding 7-10 years. Upstream interventions addressing the social determinants of health are critical. This umbrella review, published in BMC Public Health, evaluates which macro-level policies and public health interventions most effectively reduce health inequity.

Nutrition & Physical Activity (International)

Intermittent fasting for adults with overweight or obesity
The objective of this Cochrane Review was to evaluate the benefits and harms of intermittent fasting versus regular dietary advice, no intervention or waiting list for adults with overweight or obesity.

Hospital Productivity (New Zealand)

Integration of a patient-orientated eHealth intervention in the setting of an established enhanced recovery after surgery program can reduce complications and length of stay: an observational study
Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) significantly improves outcomes for colorectal surgery, but in publicly funded health services with resource constraints, some targets can be difficult to fully implement. eHealth interventions are increasingly used in surgery to improve outcomes. In 2020, we developed eHealth content to optimise prehabilitation, the delivery of an ERAS program, and postoperative care in a tertiary New Zealand hospital. The objective of this study, published in mHealth, was to summarise the clinical outcomes of implementing a patient-orientated eHealth intervention for patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery for neoplasia.

Cancer Services (New Zealand)

'Point-of-Care-Testing is definitely the way to go': primary healthcare professionals in rural Aotearoa New Zealand talk about point-of-care testing for cervical cancer prevention
This paper, published in the Journal of Primary Health Care, explores the acceptability and feasibility of point-of-care testing for human papillomavirus in rural primary care from the perspective of healthcare professionals.

“You receive the diagnosis, but your whānau have the cancer”: patients’ perspectives on breast cancer treatment in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
This study, published in New Zealand Medical Journal, aims to investigate the perceptions of Māori, Pacific, and non-Māori/Pacific breast cancer patients’ treatment experience in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Cancer Services (International)

Challenges in accessing cancer care among ethnic cancer patients: A systematic review
Ethnic cancer patients (ECPs) in Western countries have been consistently reported as an underserved group in cancer care, with evidence showing lower quality of life compared with native-born populations. This review, published in Patient Education and Counseling, examined the challenges encountered by ECPs across the cancer trajectory and how these challenges influenced their care experiences.

Scope and impact of a First Nations cancer coordinator role: perspectives of multidisciplinary cancer staff
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (hereafter respectfully referred to as First Nations) experience poorer cancer outcomes and higher mortality rates compared to non-Indigenous Australians. Barriers in accessing and engaging with cancer care services contribute significantly to these disparities. The First Nations Cancer Coordinator (FNCC) role offers a model that combines cultural and coordination support to improve the navigation of cancer services for First Nations people. This project, published in Supportive Care in Cancer, sought to understand perceptions and impact of a pilot FNCC intervention on the care of First Nations patients, from the perspective of cancer care teams.

Primary Health Care (New Zealand)

A snapshot of families engaged with Whānau Ora services in Aotearoa New Zealand: a retrospective cross-sectional study
Pasifika Futures Ltd, as a Whānau Ora commissioning agency, was part of phase two of the government-funded Whānau Ora initiative that was active between 2014 and 2025 in supporting Pacific families across Aotearoa New Zealand in improving health, education, housing and employment outcomes. This study, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, investigated wellbeing outcomes of Pacific families engaged in Whānau Ora services over 8 years of this period to identify socio-demographic groups with the highest needs.

Communal to individual midwifery care: Cultural practices and the maternity journey of Sub-Saharan African women in New Zealand
Maternal health disparities persist globally, including among Sub-Saharan African immigrant women in high-income countries. Many come from contexts where pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period are embedded in communal traditions. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the birthplace of cultural safety, limited research has examined African women's maternity experiences. This study, published in Midwifery, forms part of a midwife-led qualitative exploration of the maternity journeys of women from Sub-Saharan Africa in New Zealand, using interpretive description informed by cultural safety and structural competency.

Primary Mental Health (New Zealand)

Lived experience perspectives on resilience, mental health, and wellbeing: a focus group study of individual, social, and systemic determinants in Aotearoa New Zealand
Resilience research increasingly recognises the influence of cultural context and community perspective on adaptive responses to adversity. However, many resilience indices embody theoretical underpinnings that are not necessarily congruent with lived experiences, especially in relation to culturally diverse groups. This study, published in BMC Public Health, explores resilience factors through community narratives of diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Primary Mental Health (International)

Impact of Primary Care Mental Health Management on Emergency Psychiatric Presentations: A Systematic Review
Primary care-based mental health management has been proposed as a strategy to reduce preventable psychiatric crises and lessen reliance on emergency departments, yet its impact remains uncertain across different populations and health systems. This review, published in Cureus, synthesised evidence from observational and quasi-experimental studies evaluating integrated, collaborative, or behavioural health home interventions within primary care and their association with emergency psychiatric utilisation.

Increased Immunisation (New Zealand)

Māori and Pacific People's perspectives on Group A Streptococcus vaccine development and delivery in Aotearoa, New Zealand
Aotearoa New Zealand experiences a disproportionately high incidence of Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) disease, particularly acute rheumatic fever (ARF), with Pacific children 80 times and Indigenous Māori children 36 times more likely to develop ARF than children of other ethnicities. This qualitative study, published in PLOS Global Public Health, explored Māori and Pacific Peoples' perspectives on Strep A vaccine development.

Increased Immunisation (International)

Interventions to increase vaccine uptake among socially excluded groups: A systematic review
There are known inequalities in vaccine uptake and the distribution of vaccine-preventable diseases. Understanding the best ways to increase vaccine uptake among socially excluded groups is vital to reduce these inequalities. The aim of this review, published in Vaccine, was to assess the effectiveness of interventions to increase vaccine uptake among socially excluded groups.

Structural determinants of vaccine access: an integrated review of the Canadian literature
Vaccination is a critical public health tool, yet vaccine uptake in Canada is declining, with persistent inequities among marginalized populations. While individual-level vaccine hesitancy is well studied, there is limited synthesis of how structural determinants such as governance, institutional practices, and cultural norms shape access. The objective of this review, published in Vaccine, was to examine how structural determinants shape vaccine access among marginalised populations in Canada.

Smoking Cessation (New Zealand)

Through the haze: how the tobacco control community in New Zealand influenced policy change
Despite decades of research-informed policy implementation, tobacco smoking remains a leading cause of preventable death worldwide, disproportionately affecting disadvantaged populations. In Aotearoa New Zealand, ethnic inequities in smoking prevalence have become a driver of public health policy. In 2021, the government introduced the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan to minimise smoking prevalence for all population groups, including the indigenous Māori population. Key policies included denicotinisation of tobacco products, reductions in tobacco retailers and a smoke-free generation law. The aims of this study, published in Tobacco Control, were to identify and evaluate strategies used by tobacco control advocacy groups to support the introduction of the Action Plan.

Smoking Cessation (International)

Training health professionals in smoking cessation
The objective of this Cochrane Review was to assess the effectiveness of training healthcare professionals to deliver smoking cessation interventions to their patients, and to assess the effects of training characteristics (such as content, setting, delivery, and intensity).

Key Ministry of Health Publications

Draft Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2024–2029: Lived Experience Knowledge
The Ministry of Health partnered with Changing Minds to consult with mental health and addiction lived experience communities on the Draft Suicide Prevention Action Plan for 2025–2029 consultation document. This report presents Changing Minds’ analysis of the lived experience expertise, insights and experiences gathered from that consultation.

Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2025–29: Consultation analysis and insights
The Ministry of Health partnered with Shea, Pita and Associates, and Synergia to support consultation with a broad range of stakeholders on the Draft Suicide Prevention Action Plan for 2025–2029 consultation document. This report presents their analysis of the feedback and insights gathered from that consultation.

Complementary and Alternative Interventions to Support Recovery from Gambling Harm
While gambling has been identified as impacting mental health, recent studies have examined the effects of gambling on a broader range of health and wellbeing issues. This study profiles the health and wellbeing of people experiencing gambling harm in New Zealand and presents findings of research into evidence-based complementary and alternative interventions that may be effective to improve health and wellbeing. The report also provides suggestions for how these interventions could be implemented.

Economic and Social Costing of Gambling in Aotearoa New Zealand 2023–24
Taking a public health approach, this study examines the economic and social costs associated with gambling harm in New Zealand. The purpose is to provide a foundation and evidence base of the impact of gambling harm to inform targeted policy development and harm minimisation interventions and to support further refined and revised costings.

Rural Health Roadshow Insights Report
The Rural Health Roadshow Insights Report presents findings from visits to 13 rural locations across New Zealand in 2025. These events provided an opportunity to engage with rural communities, check what is working well and identify areas for improvement.

Ministry of Health Consultations & Events

Ngā Paerewa Health and Disability Services Standard consultation 2026
Ngā Paerewa Health and Disability Services Standard 2021 (Ngā Paerewa) came into effect in February 2022. Under the requirements of the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001 (the Act), a regular review of the Standard is required. The Ministry of Health invites organisations and individuals to give their feedback on the Standard and participate in a short consultation. This consultation closes on the 16th March.

Health Sector Initiative

Strengthening South Island Pacific mental health support
South Island Pacific mental health and addiction workers gathered in Dunedin to learn, reflect and share space with others who understand the realities of the work.

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.