Issue 253 - 26 May 2022

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 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.

Health Equity (New Zealand)

Understanding the workforce that supports Māori and Pacific peoples with type 2 diabetes to achieve better health outcomes
This study, published in BMC Health Services Research, aimed to understand perspectives and characteristics of kai manaaki (KM) and other community-based, non-clinical health workers, with a focus on how they supported Māori and Pacific Peoples living with T2DM to achieve better outcomes.

Determinants of exclusive breastfeeding for wāhine Māori
Breastfeeding is a fundamental aspect of tikanga Māori (Māori cultural traditions/practices) requiring protection and promotion. This study, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, identifies determinants of exclusive breastfeeding in wāhine Māori (Māori women).

Cancer Services (New Zealand)

Native and Indigenous Populations and Gastric Cancer: A Worldwide Review
Gastric cancer is a worldwide concern, particularly for Indigenous populations who face greater disparities in healthcare. With decreased access to screening and critical treatment delays, this group is experiencing adverse health effects. This systematic review, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, aimed to determine what factors drive these disparities.

Equity of timely access to liver and stomach cancer surgery for Indigenous patients in New Zealand: a national cohort study
When combined, liver and stomach cancers are second only to lung cancer as the most common causes of cancer death for the indigenous Māori population of New Zealand-with Māori also experiencing substantial disparities in the likelihood of survival once diagnosed with these cancers. Since a key driver of this disparity in survival could be access to surgical treatment, this study, published in BMJ Open, has used national-level data to examine surgical procedures performed on Māori patients with liver and stomach cancers and compared the likelihood and timing of access with the majority European population.

Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes (New Zealand)

Health-Related Quality of Life and Disability Among Older New Zealanders With Kidney Failure: A Prospective Study
Disability is prevalent in individuals with kidney failure and can contribute to significantly reduced quality of life and survival. In older individuals with kidney failure, disability can be caused by a combination of factors, including issues directly related to their kidney disease and/or treatment, including weakness, low energy, and low activity. Few studies have investigated health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as a possible predictor of disability among older individuals experiencing kidney failure. This study, published in the Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease, aimed to determine if patient-reported HRQoL, and/or other factors at baseline, predicts disability in people with kidney failure, aged ≥65 years, after 12 months of follow-up.

Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes (International)

Aspirin Use to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease and Colorectal Cancer: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force
Low-dose aspirin is used for primary cardiovascular disease prevention and may have benefits for colorectal cancer prevention. The objective of this study, published in JAMA, was to review the benefits and harms of aspirin in primary cardiovascular disease prevention and colorectal cancer prevention to inform the US Preventive Services Task Force.

The effect of integrated health care in patients with hypertension and diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
A growing number of studies show that integrated health care provides comprehensive and continuous care to patients with hypertension or diabetes. However, there is still no consensus about the effect of integrated health care on patients with hypertension or diabetes. The objective of this study, published in BMC Health Services Research, was to verify the effectiveness of integrated health care for patients with hypertension or diabetes by using a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Primary Health Care (International)

Rethinking Primary Care Delivery Models: Can Integrated Primary Care Teams Improve Care Experience?
Integrated Primary Care Teams (IPCTs) have four key characteristics (intensive interdisciplinary practice; advanced nursing practice with an expanded role; group practice; increased proximity and availability) aimed at strengthening primary care in Quebec, Canada. The purpose of this paper, published in the International Journal of Integrated Care, is to examine the care experience over time of patients who have an IPCT as their primary source of care.

Primary Mental Health (New Zealand)

Adapting a codesign process with young people to prioritize outcomes for a systematic review of interventions to prevent self‐harm and suicide
Research and clinical outcomes that matter to people with lived experience can significantly differ from those outcomes studied by researchers. To inform a future Cochrane review of suicide and self-harm prevention interventions, this study, published in Health Expectations, aimed to work with young people with relevant lived experience to agree on priority outcomes.

Primary Mental Health (International)

Moving beyond referrals to strengthen late-life depression care: a qualitative examination of primary care clinic and community-based organization partnerships
National guidelines have called for greater integration of primary care and behavioural health services, with more recent attention to social care and community-based services. Under growing resource constraints healthcare organizations have tended to rely on referrals to external entities to address social care needs. Traditional referral models, however, may not be equipped to provide for the complex needs of older adults with depression. The Care Partners Project was designed to strengthen late-life depression care through integrated partnerships between primary care clinics and community-based organizations. This study, published in BMC Health Services Research, sought to understand how these integrated partnerships, with shared tasks and accountability across organizations, changed the nature of depression care for older adults.

Virtual Reality (VR) Technology for Treatment of Mental Health Problems during COVID-19: A Systematic Review
There was a surge in psychological distress and emotional burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual reality (VR) is helpful as a psychological intervention whilst maintaining physical or social distancing. The present systematic review, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, assessed the role of VR as a psychological intervention tool for mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Increased Immunisation (International)

Strategies to overcome vaccine hesitancy: a systematic review
Vaccination requires appropriate strategies for addressing vaccine hesitancy at an individual and community level. However, there remains a glaring scarcity of available literature in that regard. Therefore, this review, published in Systematic Reviews, aims to scrutinize globally tested interventions to increase the vaccination uptake by addressing vaccine hesitancy at various stages of these interventions across the globe and help policy makers in implementing appropriate strategies to address the issue.

Disability Services (International)

Music-based interventions for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities: A systematic review of the literature
Music is motivational, accessible and engaging for individuals with learning disabilities. Several systematic reviews have addressed the effects of music activity on people with learning disabilities; however, none has specifically reviewed the use of musical activity with people with profound and multiple learning disabilities. This review, published in the Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, aimed to identify peer-reviewed studies and describe the characteristics of evidence-based musical activity used with people with profound and multiple learning disabilities and evaluate and analyse the effectiveness of these music-based interventions and identify gaps within current research.

Key Ministry of Health Publications

Six Principles for Safe Visiting and Social Activities in Aged Residential Care
This publication supports rest home providers in the development of policies and procedures that enable safe visiting, social activities and outings in the context of viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2 which causes COVID-19. These Principles are underpinned by the recognition that ARC facilities are residents’ homes. ARC facilities are expected to align their local policies and procedures with these Principles.

HISO 10046:2022 Consumer Health Identity Standard
This document presents a standard data set specification for the collection and representation of personal identity, demographic and digital account information for patients and consumers of health and disability services. This standard pertains to the data content of the National Health Index (NHI) and My Health Account systems operated by the Ministry of Health, and to all patient management systems, clinical information systems and consumer health platforms used in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Hui Whakaoranga 2021 – Summary Report
Hui Whakaoranga is a series of hui focused on taking a generational approach to Māori health development and is a key part of the ongoing commitment to Whakamaua: Māori Health Action Plan 2020-2025. This publication provides a high-level summary of the themes, engagement, and kōrero from Hui Whakaoranga 2021. It seeks to accurately reflect the voices of participants in order to capture the key learnings of Hui Whakaoranga 2021 and to provide a record of these engagements.

District Health Board Initiative

Better care for young whānau
A more holistic approach to better support young hapū māmā and their whānau in te Tairāwhiti gets underway this week. The Tamariki Ora – E Tipu E Rea pilot is an enhanced Well Child Tamariki Ora service, provided by Tūranga Health and Ngāti Porou Hauora, facilitated by Hauora Tairāwhiti and funded by the Ministry of Health. E Tipu E Rea tailors a wrap-around service for young whānau in Tairāwhiti aged 25 years and under with pēpi/tamaiti up to 2 years old. The service looks at the bigger picture of health and safety for whānau so they have support that is more flexible, and a referral pathway into specialist services if needed.

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.