Ministry of Health - Health Improvement & Innovation Digest
- 8 hours ago
- 7 min read
Issue 346 - 9 July 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
This article, published in AlterNative, explores a whānau-led pepeha (recitation of ancestral affiliations) wānanga (knowledge sharing forum) held in the rohe (region) of Ngā Hapū o Te Ahuahu in Te Tai Tokerau, Aotearoa New Zealand (Aotearoa). Grounded in a kaupapa Māori paradigm, the wānanga created a culturally safe and relational space for whānau (extended family) to (re)connect with their ancestral whenua (land) and with each other through experiential learning, storytelling, and intergenerational engagement. This land-based whānau-centred approach supported processes of identity restoration, cultural revitalisation, and intergenerational wellbeing.
Indigenous tribal communities are frequently underserved by genomic medicine because they are under-represented in research, often live in remote locations and have ethical and cultural perspectives that vary from westernised standpoints. The Rakeiora platform, a permissioning and analytical environment that incorporates Māori perspectives and ethical frameworks on how precision medicine research is best conducted was used to host a pharmacogenetic exemplar project to demonstrate proof of principle in a tribal community. This project, published in the Journal of Community Genetics, was co-designed alongside community representatives through an extensive series of kanohi ki te kanohi (face-to-face) consultation hui, drawing on the strengths, insights, and aspirations of the community.
Health Equity (New Zealand)
Māori continue to experience inequitable health and social outcomes shaped by colonisation and ongoing racism. Well Child Tamariki Ora (WCTO) services provide universal nursing and parenting support for whānau (extended family group) with tamariki (children) under 5 years, however, service design and delivery are not consistently aligned with Māori worldviews and whānau realities, limiting uptake and ongoing engagement. This study, published in AlterNative, used a Kaupapa Māori methodology with constructivist grounded theory methods to explore Māori whānau experiences of WCTO services.
Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) rates declined in Aotearoa New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022). This study, published in The New Zealand Medical Journal, aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 public health measures on ARF hospitalisations and ethnic inequities for Māori and Pacific peoples.
Health Equity (International)
Municipalities influence population health outcomes both directly (e.g., fluoridation, road safety, and tobacco control) and indirectly through broader social, cultural, and environmental determinants of health such as housing, transportation, income, and social services. While intersectoral partnerships with public health systems are promoted as a policy tool for addressing complex health inequities, evidence on their models, effectiveness, and outcomes remains limited. This scoping review, published in BMC Public Health, aimed to map the literature on municipal-public health partnerships, with a focus on partnership models, reported outcomes, and the barriers and facilitators shaping their success.
Public Health (New Zealand)
The Pacific region experiences some of the world's highest rates of violence against women and children (VAW/C), yet it has also shown leadership and innovation in prevention efforts. Despite progress, evidence gaps remain, particularly regarding intervention impact. This scoping review, published in PLOS Global Public Health, systematically maps current evidence on VAW/C prevention in the Pacific, complemented by expert consultation. Eleven interventions were identified across five countries - Solomon Islands, Samoa, Aotearoa New Zealand, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea.
Nutrition & Physical Activity (New Zealand)
This study, published in The New Zealand Medical Journal, investigates the relationship between disability and food insecurity in Aotearoa New Zealand, exploring how different types and complexities of disabilities relate to food security status.
Quality Improvement (New Zealand)
This report, published by the Health Quality & Safety Commission, brings together harm data and insights from Health New Zealand, ACC, the Health and Disability Commissioner and the Health Quality & Safety Commission to identify where risks converge across the health system. The report is intended to inform providers, consumers and whānau with a fuller view of system safety in healthcare.
Quality Improvement (International)
Improvement science has supported the methodological foundations for the application of quality improvement (QI) in healthcare. However, concerns persist regarding the rigour of QI evaluation. Theories, Models and Frameworks (TMFs) from implementation science support the uptake of evidence-based practices but their use to guide the evaluation of QI initiatives remains insufficiently characterised. The objective of this scoping review, published in BMJ Quality & Safety, was to identify which implementation science TMFs have been used to evaluate QI initiatives in healthcare, assess how these TMFs were applied in the evaluation, and compare the TMFs’ intrinsic methodological attributes.
Sustaining quality and patient safety (QPS) is a global priority due to risks such as patient harm, poor experiences, inequity, and resource waste. Training and education in key competency areas can support continuous improvement and enhance workforce performance. Clearly defining core QPS competencies for healthcare staff is essential to ensure preparedness to provide quality, safe care. Competency frameworks provide structured support for training and curriculum development, with many developed globally as strategic initiatives, some using evidence-based approaches. However, there is no consensus on core competencies to promote quality and patient safety, definitions of relevant terms can vary, and evidence on framework effectiveness is mixed. To address this research gap, the objective of this review, published in the International Journal for Quality in Health Care, was to systematically explore and collate evidence to provide insight into the current landscape of QPS competencies and frameworks. Additionally, this review sought to identify how competencies and competency frameworks have been designed, developed, implemented and evaluated.
Hospital Productivity (International)
Discharge delays and unnecessary bed days (UBDs) are known to cause increasing Emergency Department (ED) boarding and account for over 20% of inappropriate hospital bed use. The aim of this project, published in BMJ Open Quality, is to reduce the number of UBDs by 25% (from 1500 days to 1100 days) and increase bed availability at 7 a.m. by 15% (from 0 to 1-2 beds) for medical inpatient beds over a year.
Cancer Services (New Zealand)
Implementation of the National Bowel Screening Programme for Aotearoa New Zealand has been a 26‐year journey with many challenges and obstacles. This paper, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, describes lessons learnt.
Early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC; <50 years) is rising globally, yet the lived experiences of people diagnosed with EOCRC is poorly described. This study, published in The New Zealand Medical Journal, aimed to carry out a survey to explore patient-reported experiences among people with EOCRC in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Cancer Services (International)
Former refugee populations settling in regional Australia often experience low cancer literacy, delayed health-seeking and reduced engagement with cancer services. This study, published in the Australian Journal of Primary Health, reports on the first phase of a community-led service improvement initiative designed to improve cancer literacy and access to culturally responsive cancer care for Karen and Afghan former refugees in Bendigo, Victoria.
Primary Mental Health (New Zealand)
The aim of the present study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, is to provide a snapshot of how depression is understood and addressed by Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Increased Immunisation (International)
Well-implemented vaccination programs can reduce infectious disease burden in an equitable and cost-effective manner. This rapid review, published in the Australian Journal of Primary Health, used a strengths-based approach to identify enablers and barriers to vaccination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0-5 years, and identify the characteristics of effective programs to improve vaccination coverage and timeliness.
Smoking Cessation (International)
The prevalence of e‐cigarette use has recently increased globally amongst children and adolescents. In response to this increase and emerging evidence about the potential harms of e‐cigarettes in children and adolescents, leading public health organisations have called for approaches to address e‐cigarette use. Whilst evaluations of approaches to reduce uptake and use regularly appear in the literature, the collective long‐term benefit of these is currently unclear. The co‐primary objectives of this Cochrane Review was to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to prevent e‐cigarette use in children and adolescents (aged 19 years and younger) with no prior use, relative to no intervention, waiting‐list control, usual practice, or an alternative intervention; and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to cease e‐cigarette use in children and adolescents (aged 19 years and younger) reporting current use, relative to no intervention, waiting‐list control, usual practice, or an alternative intervention.
Smoking during pregnancy poses significant risks to maternal and neonatal health. Nonetheless, a high proportion of women continue to smoke during this period, and effective interventions are thus needed to help pregnant women quit smoking. The aim of this review, published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, was to determine which psychological interventions for smoking cessation in pregnancy have been implemented and the efficacy rates of each.
Health Sector Initiative
Le Va is developing an AI-enhanced version of Aunty Dee designed to strengthen support for young people and the mental health workforce.
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.