Health Improvement and Innovation Digest (formerly the HIIRC digest)

Exploring Pasifika wellbeing: findings from a large cluster randomised controlled trial of a mobile health intervention programme
Published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, the primary objective of this study was to determine the effect of a mobile health (mHealth) intervention on the wellbeing of Pasifika peoples, and to explore factors associated with Pasifika wellbeing.

Health profile of residents of retirement villages in Auckland, New Zealand: findings from a cross-sectional survey with health assessment
Retirement villages have expanded rapidly, now housing perhaps one in eight people aged 75+ years in New Zealand. Health service initiatives might better support residents and offer cost advantages, but little is known of resident demographics, health status or needs. This study, published in BMJ Open, describes village residents—their demographics, socio-behavioural and health status—noting differences between participants who volunteered and those who were sampled. It contains several points that might help village management to meet unmet needs of their residents.

Evaluation of a pharmacist-led actionable audit and feedback intervention for improving medication safety in UK primary care: An interrupted time series analysis
This study, published in PLoS Medicine, evaluated the impact of the pharmacist-led Safety Medication dASHboard (SMASH) intervention on medication safety in primary care.

Quality indicators for community dementia care: a systematic review
There is a lack of an up-to-date body of evidence and a comprehensive overview concerning literature on quality indicator (QI) development for dementia care. This paper, published in the European Journal of Public Health, systematically reviewed recent literature and formulated recommendations for future research.

Using governance and patient flow strategies to improve healthcare service efficiency
The aim of this case study, published in the Australian Health Review, was to share lessons learned regarding strategies likely to increase healthcare service efficiency.

A systematic review of patient prioritization tools in non-emergency healthcare services
Patient prioritization is a strategy used to manage access to healthcare services. Patient prioritization tools (PPT) contribute to supporting the prioritization decision process, and to its transparency and fairness. Patient prioritization tools can take various forms and are highly dependent on the particular context of application. Consequently, the sets of criteria change from one context to another, especially when used in non-emergency settings. This paper, published in Systematic Reviews, systematically synthesises and analyses the published evidence concerning the development and challenges related to the validation and implementation of PPTs in non-emergency settings.

Motivation and Barriers to Maintaining Lifestyle Changes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes after an Intensive Lifestyle Intervention (The U-TURN Trial): A Longitudinal Qualitative Study
The purpose of this study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, was to explore and identify factors that influence motivation for and barriers to adopting and maintaining lifestyle changes in patients with type 2 diabetes, following participation in an intensive multiple-lifestyle intervention.

Mobile applications for the management of chronic physical conditions: A systematic review
Chronic physical conditions (CPCs) decrease the quality of life of millions of people. In the absence of curative treatments, maintaining healthy lifestyle habits is one of the main pillars in their clinical management. Mobile‐based interventions may help patients take care of their health and follow medical recommendations. The purpose of this review, published in the Internal Medicine Journal, is to summarize the latest evidence about mobile phone applications (apps) for the management of CPC.

Intervention effectiveness by pharmacists integrated within an interdisciplinary health team on chronic complex patients
Nowadays, it is difficult to establish a specific method of intervention by the pharmacist and its clinical repercussions. The aim of this study, published in the European Journal of Public Health, was to identify interventions by pharmacists integrated within an interdisciplinary team for chronic complex patients (CCPs) and determine which of them produce the best results.

Quantitative evaluation of an outreach case management model of care for urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults living with complex chronic disease: a longitudinal study
Chronic diseases are the leading contributor to the excess morbidity and mortality burden experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter, respectfully, Indigenous) people, compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. The Home-based Outreach case Management of chronic disease Exploratory (HOME) Study provided person-centred, multidisciplinary care for Indigenous people with chronic disease. This model of care, aligned to Indigenous peoples’ conceptions of health and wellbeing, was integrated within an urban Indigenous primary health care service. This study, published in BMC Health Services Research, aimed to determine the impact of this model of care on participants’ health and wellbeing at 12 months.

The Role of Technology and the Continuum of Care for Youth Suicidality: Systematic Review
Youth suicide is a global public health issue, and using technology is one strategy to increase participation in preventive interventions. However, there is minimal knowledge on how technology-enhanced interventions for youth correspond to the stages of care, from illness or risk recognition to treatment follow-up. This systematic review, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research aims to examine the efficacy of technology-enhanced youth suicide prevention and interventions across the continuum of care.

A Systematic Review of the Use of Telepsychiatry in Depression
Telepsychiatry, the use of televideo in psychiatric assessment and treatment, is utilized throughout Canada. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common, with significant burdens of suffering and cost. This systematic review, published in the Community Mental Health Journal, explores the literature on the use of televideo to diagnose and treat MDD, particularly acceptability and patient satisfaction, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness.

Effect of community mental health care programs in Australia: a systematic review
Although numerous studies have examined the effects of community-based mental health care programs in Australia, no synthesis of this literature exists. This systematic review of peer-reviewed and grey literature, published in the Australian Journal of Primary Health, described the types of community-based mental health care programs delivered and evaluated in Australia in the past 20 years, and evaluated their impact in improving outcomes for those with a serious mental illness (SMI).

Models of Mental Health Consultation and Collaboration in Primary Care Pediatrics
Pediatricians are increasingly asked to address the mental health care needs of their patients, despite lack of formal mental health training. Pediatricians who wish to expand their scope of practice to include mental health care may benefit from didactic training as well as ongoing consultative or collaborative relationships with mental health specialists. Consultative and collaborative relationships between mental health and primary care have evolved in various models across the country. This study, published in Pediatric Annals, outlines models of mental health consultation and collaboration, addresses some considerations for pediatricians prior to adopting a model, and lists key collaborative care resources.

The Promotion of Eating Behaviour Change through Digital Interventions
Diet-related chronic disease is a global health epidemic giving rise to a high incidence of morbidity and mortality. With the rise of the digital revolution, there has been increased interest in using digital technology for eating behavioural change as a mean of diet-related chronic disease prevention. However, evidence on digital dietary behaviour change is relatively scarce. This review, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, considers the digital interventions currently being used in dietary behaviour change studies.

Guidelines for caregivers and healthcare professionals on speaking to children about overweight and obesity: a systematic review of the gray literature
Caregivers and healthcare professionals (HPs) are increasingly concerned about childhood obesity. A critical consideration of caregivers and HPs is discussing weight status without provoking disordered eating. Given the complexity of these interacting concerns, major health advocacy groups have independently published guidelines for having conversations with children about overweight/obesity. The current investigation, published in Translational Behavioral Medicine, represented the first-ever systematic review of these guidelines to analyze their content, consistency, actionability, or scientific support.

Gambling Harm Reduction Needs Assessment
The Ministry of Health is responsible for developing an integrated problem gambling strategy under the Gambling Act 2003. As part of the development of the integrated strategy, the Ministry must undertake a needs assessment and a consultation. The needs assessment informs the development of the consultation document. The needs assessment highlights any gaps between the research evidence, population needs, service provision and the goal of the Ministry’s strategic plan. In doing so, the needs assessment informs service planning to produce an appropriate distribution of health services to promote health-gains and better outcomes for the population.

New cancer service at Wairoa Health gives patients better access to treatment
A new cancer support clinic introduced by Wairoa Health and supported by specialist clinical teams at Hawke’s Bay DHB is giving local residents better access to cancer treatment and saving hours of travel time. Wairoa cancer patients with routine treatment needs can now receive their chemotherapy at Wairoa Health from a visiting cancer nurse and meet with their radiation oncologist via video conferencing for follow-up consultations at the same time.