Issue 343 - 28 May 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

Item Development for Tōku Whare (My House): A Kaupapa Māori Neurodevelopmental Screening Resource
Neurodevelopmental screening tools used in Aotearoa New Zealand are predominantly developed internationally, and are therefore misaligned with the unique worldview of te ao Māori (the Māori worldview). This article, published in AlterNative, explored a culturally grounded kaupapa Māori neurodevelopmental screening tool that was created by integrating mātauranga Māori (traditional knowledge) and kaupapa Māori (philosophy) approaches with empirical research. The tool is specifically designed to support early intervention for tamariki Māori (Māori children) aged from 6 to 8 years.

Health Equity (New Zealand)

Understanding nurses' perspectives on Māori health equity: a systematic scoping review
Nurses have professional, ethical and legal obligations to address health inequities for Māori. The objective of this review, published in Contemporary Nurse, was to investigate and synthesise the literature available on nurses' views of health equity for Māori to inform future research, policy and practice.

Development, implementation, and evaluation of clinical practice guidelines, protocols, and pathways used in rural and remote Australia, Canada, and Aotearoa New Zealand: a scoping review
This scoping review, published in JBI Evidence Synthesis, examines the extent and type of evidence describing the development, implementation, and evaluations of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), protocols, and pathways used in the rural and remote areas of Australia, Canada, and Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ).

The impact of cultural concordance between health professionals and patients: a narrative review
The aim of this article, published in The New Zealand Medical Journal, is to summarise international evidence on the impacts of cultural/ethnic concordance between patients and health professionals and to discuss the implications for New Zealand.

Nutrition & Physical Activity (International)

Effects of behavioural interventions for preventing obesity in young children from ethnic minority backgrounds: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials
Tackling childhood obesity represents a significant public health challenge associated with several adverse health and psychological outcomes, with increased prevalence in ethnically diverse populations. Early intervention is required to promote healthy weight from early childhood and reduce health inequalities. A systematic review, published in the Archives of Public Health, was conducted to synthesise evidence from randomised trials of behavioural interventions that target obesity prevention among young ethnic minority children aged 0-5 years in high-income countries.

Digital health interventions for physical activity in children and adolescents with obesity: umbrella review
Childhood obesity is a global health challenge, with physical inactivity as a key driver. Digital health interventions (DHIs) may increase physical activity (PA) among children and adolescents with obesity. This umbrella review, published in Pediatric Research, aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of DHIs in improving PA in this population.

Quality Improvement (New Zealand)

Continuous quality improvement activities undertaken in ambulance services in Australia and New Zealand: A scoping review
The objective of this review, published in Australasian Emergency Care, was to describe the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) projects undertaken in Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) emergency ambulance services.

Cancer Services (New Zealand)

An implementation study of text invitation, mailed at-home human papillomavirus (HPV) self-testing and telehealth management in Aotearoa New Zealand, with a nested randomised controlled trial that compared offering an incentive vs. no offer with a repeat test kit
In Aotearoa New Zealand, human papillomavirus (HPV) self-testing was introduced simultaneously with HPV primary screening in September 2023 to improve access and reduce inequities for priority populations, including Indigenous Māori, Pacific and under-screened people. To contribute policy-relevant information, this study, published in BMC Public Health, implemented non-standard engagement and screening strategies, including text message invitation, mailed test kits, at-home self-testing, telehealth support and follow-up by a central nurse-led co-ordination team.

Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes (New Zealand)

Pacific families' experiences of intergenerational diabetes in New Zealand - a qualitative interpretive case study
Intergenerational diabetes occurs when multiple members across successive generations in one family develop Type 2 diabetes due to shared genetic and environmental factors. This research, published in the Australian Journal of Primary Health, describes the experiences, beliefs, challenges, and barriers faced by Pacific families in New Zealand living with intergenerational diabetes.

Primary Health Care (New Zealand)

Integrating a whānau-ora approach in primary care to mitigate the impact of syndemics: whānau and key informant views
Whānau-centredness is core to Māori wellbeing. Western models of health, in contrast, tend to be deficit-framed and individualistic, although a more collective model can be seen in the concept of syndemics: conditions that cluster in populations and are amplified by health inequities. This study, published in the Australian Journal of Primary Health, investigated how a whānau-ora approach can inform the management of syndemics of long-term conditions and infectious diseases within primary health care.

'We gout your back': a qualitative study to co-design educational gout resources with Pacific people in Aotearoa New Zealand
Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand experience some of the highest rates of gout worldwide. Although understanding gout and urate-lowering therapy is a key component of ensuring uptake and adherence to medication, Pacific communities have identified a lack of resources and tools to support this. The objective of this qualitative study, published in Health Promotion International, was to co-design education resources for Pacific patients and communities in Aotearoa New Zealand, aiming to increase awareness of gout and of urate-lowering therapy.

Communicating health messages to children and families in primary care: a mixed-methods study in Aotearoa New Zealand
Primary care professionals routinely discuss health issues with children and families, including difficult or taboo topics. Although clinicians want better resources to support these conversations, existing evidence largely reflects health professionals' perspectives. This study, published in the Journal of Primary Health Care, aimed to understand how parents/caregivers/whānau and children want common health messages communicated to them.

Children's experiences of midwives working in Aotearoa New Zealand's continuity of care model
Aotearoa New Zealand's Continuity of Care (CoC) midwifery model is recognised for its nationalised, public provision of one-to-one midwifery care. The model has distinctive pressures associated with workload, 24/7 on-call, and emotional intensity. While research has examined how these pressures affect midwives, little is known about how this model shapes the lives of midwives' children. This study, published in Women and Birth, explores how the CoC model of midwifery can influence midwives' children.

Primary Health Care (International)

Does point-of-care testing offer a positive economic impact on primary healthcare? A systematic review
Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) offers rapid diagnostics, yet its economic efficiency in primary healthcare is not fully established. The objective of this review, published in Health Policy, was to evaluate the impact of POCT on primary healthcare expenditures and cost-effectiveness compared to standard laboratory testing.

Increased Immunisation (International)

Optimising immunisations for children with needle phobia and/or developmental disorders: a retrospective audit to inform policy and practice in Australia
Need for immunisation under sedation services in hospitals for children with needle phobia and/or developmental and behavioural disorders has escalated over the last decade. This study, published in Vaccine, aimed to evaluate Australia's largest and longest running immunisation under sedation service over a 6-year period to inform policy and practice.

Mobile health strategies to improve HPV vaccination uptake among parents of adolescent girls: a scoping review
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is a highly effective primary prevention strategy against cervical cancer. However, despite strong evidence of vaccine efficacy and safety, uptake among adolescent girls remains suboptimal globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies have emerged as promising tools to address parental concerns, reduce vaccine hesitancy, and strengthen parental engagement in vaccination decision-making. This scoping review, published in Vaccine, aimed to synthesise evidence on the types of mHealth strategies implemented to improve HPV vaccine uptake among parents of adolescent girls and to examine the outcomes of these interventions.

Health Sector Initiative

Faster care, safer medicines: Dunedin ED pharmacist making immediate impact
A newly introduced pharmacist role in Dunedin Hospital’s emergency department is helping patients be seen and get treated faster. The dedicated emergency department pharmacist has also led to doctors having more time to focus on patient care.

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.