Issue 257 - 21 July 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.

Māori Innovation

“Ko Au te Whenua, Ko te Whenua Ko Au: I Am the Land, and the Land Is Me”: Healer/Patient Views on the Role of Rongoā Māori (Traditional Māori Healing) in Healing the Land
In Rongoā Māori (traditional Māori healing), the connection with the land stems from seeing Papatūānuku/Mother Earth as a part of our identity/whakapapa (genealogy), our culture, and our wellbeing. This qualitative study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, aimed to explore the holistic nature and meaning of Rongoā Māori.

Cultural context in New Zealand: incorporating kaupapa Māori values in clinical research and practice
This study examined the importance of understanding and incorporating cultural context within Aotearoa/New Zealand when engaging in clinical research and practice. This paper, published in Health Promotion International, reports on the qualitative findings of a mixed methods study aimed at determining what effect a cardiac risk reduction exercise and lifestyle management programme, embedded within a kaupapa Māori methodological approach, had on Māori participants.

Co-designing a culture-centered age-friendly community for Māori kaumātua: Cultural principles and practices
This study, published in The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, examined a Māori age-friendly housing development. Two Māori community groups worked with multiple stakeholders to co-design a culture-centered, kaumātua (older adults) urban housing community. The purpose was to identify co-design and culture-centered principles in the development. The research offers a practical pathway to developing age-friendly housing environments for Māori kaumātua, their communities, wider society and other Indigenous peoples.

Health Equity (New Zealand)

A systematic review of the health and health care of rural sexual and gender minorities in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, and people with a diversity of sexual and gender identities (LGBTIQ+) residing in rural contexts may face additional challenges to attaining wellbeing, yet a comprehensive understanding of these experiences is lacking. The purpose of the systematic review, published in Rural and Remote Health, is to address this knowledge gap. The aims of the review are to progress understanding about rural LGBTIQ+ communities with regard to wellbeing, healthcare access and experience, and barriers and facilitators to health care.

Holistic antenatal education class interventions: a systematic review of the prioritisation and involvement of Indigenous Peoples' of Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States over a 10-year period 2008 to 2018
Research into the effectiveness of antenatal education classes is crucial for Indigenous Peoples from Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States who experience poorer maternal and infant health outcomes compared to non-Indigenous populations. This systematic review, published in the Archives of Public Health, was intended to determine the extent of Indigenous Peoples prioritisation and involvement in antenatal education classes, and to understand the experience of Indigenous Peoples from these countries in antenatal education classes.

Quality Improvement (New Zealand)

An Evaluation of Barriers and Facilitators for a Pressure Injury Prevention Link Nurse Role: A Mixed-Methods Study in New Zealand
The purpose of this study, published in the Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing, was to identify barriers and facilitators for nurses in a pressure injury prevention (PIP) link nurse role.

Emergency Department Services (International)

Impact of a Teletriage program on left without being seen rates and cost
Emergency Departments (EDs) experience throughput constraints for various reasons, such as space, resources, staffing, and bed placement. These throughput constraints are known to increase the volume of patients who leave without being evaluated. TeleTriage is a method implemented shortly after the arrival of the patient to the ED, as a means to expedite evaluation of patients. This project, published in the Journal of Hospital Administration, aimed to implement a TeleTriage program and analyze any impact on Left Without Being Seen (LWBS) rates and cost.

Smoking Cessation (New Zealand)

Revised Guidelines for smoking cessation in New Zealand, 2021
These guidelines, published in The New Zealand Medical Journal, aim to summarise the literature underpinning key recommendations made in the 2021 revision of the Ministry of Health’s New Zealand Guidelines for Helping People to Stop Smoking. A comprehensive literature review of smoking cessation interventions was undertaken in July 2021, and recommendations were formulated from the findings of the literature review and expert advice.

Smoking Cessation (International)

Urgent Need for Novel Investigations of Treatments to Quit E-cigarettes: Findings from a Systematic Review
E-cigarette use has been increasing globally over the past decade. Many use e-cigarettes as an alternative or method to quit cigarette smoking, whereas others use these products recreationally. As technology has advanced, many individuals have reported symptoms of dependence on these products and continue to use them beyond achieving abstinence from smoking. Despite individuals reporting interest in quitting, little is known about e-cigarette cessation. This systematic review, published in Cancer Prevention Research, sought to identify and evaluate all human subjects literature published on the outcome of e-cigarette cessation through September 2021.

Weight Management (New Zealand)

Barriers to obesity health care from GP and client perspectives in New Zealand general practice: A meta-ethnography review
Obesity is a complex international health concern affecting individual quality of life and contributing to an unsustainable strain on national health systems. General practice is positioned as best suited to deliver weight management health care, yet, obesity rates remain high suggesting barriers are experienced within this space. The aim of this review, published in Obesity Reviews is to synthesize general practitioner and client perspectives of weight management to identify barriers experienced in New Zealand general practice.

Weight Management (International)

Clinical practice guidelines for the prevention of childhood obesity: A systematic review of quality and content
Obesity in childhood is a significant global issue, and prevention is key to reducing prevalence. Healthcare providers can play an important role in the prevention of obesity. The aim of this systematic review, published in Obesity Reviews, was to identify and evaluate clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for preventing childhood obesity with a focus on the role of medical doctors. 

Oral Health (International)

A scoping review to inform the use of continuous quality improvement in Australian Aboriginal oral health care
The need to improve existing services to Aboriginal communities is prioritised by Australia’s National Oral Health Plan. Although only an emerging area in dentistry, continuous quality improvement (CQI) approaches have positively impacted the delivery of primary health services to Aboriginal communities. This scoping review, published in Australian Health Review, maps the applicability of CQI strategies to Aboriginal Australian oral healthcare services.

Key Ministry of Health Publications

2021 COVID-19 Māori Health Protection Plan: May 2022 Monitoring Report
The May 2022 Monitoring Report provides an overview of the progress being made against the COVID-19 Māori Health Protection Plan’s monitoring framework. The report provides an outline of core statistics as well as a brief overview of the Omicron strategy and how the Protection Plan continues to respond to Māori health within this context. The Monitoring Report is a supplementary report of the 2021 COVID-19 Māori Health Protection Plan.

Life Course and Legacy Gambling Harms in New Zealand
This research explored the full impacts of gambling harm using novel methods that explicitly capture legacy, life course, and intergenerational gambling harm.

Registrar (assisted dying) Annual Report
The Registrar (assisted dying) is required to report to the Minister of Health by the 30 June each year. The Report outlines the statistics for the period reported. This is the first of these reports.

Ministry of Health Consultations & Events

Proposed Changes to the Guidelines for Extending the Storage of Gametes and Embryos
ACART is pleased to present this consultation on Proposed Changes to the Guidelines for Extending the Storage of Gametes and Embryos. The proposed changes will address an apparent anomaly that requires a person, applying to extend the storage of embryos created from donated gametes, to obtain the consent of the gamete donors again. The amendments will also make the Guidelines easier to understand and clearer about who needs to consent to the extension of storage in which situations. ACART is also seeking perspectives on other parts of the Guidelines and whether they may need other changes. Consultation closes 30 September 2022.

Proposed warning and advisory statement for ocular decongestants used for eye redness and/or minor eye irritation: Do not use in children under 12 years of age
This Medsafe consultation seeks your feedback on a proposed new warning and advisory statement for the package labelling of ocular decongestants. These are medicines that provide temporary relief of redness and/or minor irritation in the eyes through narrowing of swollen blood vessels. Consultation closes 22 August 2022.

Health Sector Initiative

Supervised Toothbrushing Programme Launched in Far North
In late June, the Northland DHB-supervised tooth brushing programme commenced in the Far North, starting at Pukenui and Pukepoto schools, where the oral health team visited the first of an initial 4,300 children. The total cost per annum to run this Programme is expected to be around $650,000 and the DHB are grateful for a substantial portion of the costs being generously covered by the Clare Foundation.

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.