Ministry of Health Library - Health Improvement & Innovation Digest
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Issue 340 - 16 April 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.
Health Equity (New Zealand)
Māori are significantly underrepresented within the surgical health workforce in Aotearoa, perpetuating longstanding inequities in access, experiences and outcomes. Little is known about the experiences of Māori across the continuum from medical school to consultancy. This study, published in ANZ Journal of Surgery, aimed to explore the experiences of Māori doctors to identify barriers, enablers and opportunities for improving pathways into surgery.
Despite universal healthcare provision, Māori—the Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand—continue to experience persistent inequities across all major health indicators. While these disparities are well documented, fewer studies centre Māori voices in describing how inequity is lived and felt within everyday healthcare encounters. This study, published in Social Science & Medicine, draws on stories from Māori contributors shared through Wāhi Kōrero, a national online story-sharing platform from 11 April to 31 August 2024.
Health Equity (International)
Methods to design, adapt and apply equity-focused implementation science theories, models and frameworks in healthcare systems: a scoping reviewImplementation science has a key role to play in reducing health inequities within healthcare systems. In recent years, the number of health equity-focused implementation science theories, models, and frameworks (TMFs) has increased. However, the methods used to design and adapt TMFs are not well understood. Exploring these methods will help us understand how health equity is considered in implementation science TMFs and inform future adaptations and applications in real-world, healthcare system contexts. The purpose of this review, published in Implementation Science Communications, is to explore the methods used to design, adapt, and apply health equity-focused implementation science TMFs.
People experiencing marginalisation are over-represented in the criminal justice system (CJS) worldwide. CJS involvement exacerbates health and care inequalities, with poorer outcomes amongst people released from prison. Fragmented care and support persist upon release, but little is known about how health and justice systems intersect. The aim of this systematic review, published in Social Science & Medicine, was to synthesise global evidence on: integration of health and justice systems focused on people’s experiences of returning to their community after prison; the impact of CJS involvement on health, and care inequalities.
Nutrition & Physical Activity (International)
Digital health interventions for childhood obesity: An umbrella reviewChildhood obesity has become a critical global health issue, raising concerns for public health systems. Early intervention is essential to curb its long-term impact. This umbrella review, published in Digital Health, aims to assess the effectiveness of digital health interventions in controlling and managing obesity among children and adolescents.
Cancer Services (New Zealand)
Financial toxicity refers to the objective and subjective financial burden incurred due to medical treatment. It is an increasingly recognised consequence of cancer and its treatment. Cervical cancer patients have been reported as having high rates of financial toxicity in international literature, with local experience suggesting that this is also the case in New Zealand. This study, published in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology, aimed to measure the prevalence and severity of financial toxicity in patients undergoing radiation treatment for cervical cancer at Wellington Blood and Cancer centre (WBCC), and how existing sources of support were used.
Cancer Services (International)
Cancer care involves a host of multidisciplinary teams that can often result in fragmented care, creating delays and increasing patient stress. Navigation programs have demonstrated benefits in screening adherence, timely follow-up, and patient satisfaction, but most remain confined to single or only few specialties. This study, published in JCO Oncology Practice, describes the design, implementation, and early outcomes of a comprehensive, system-wide nurse navigation program spanning multiple oncology service lines.
Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes (New Zealand)
Obesity impacts physical, physiological and psychological domains of life. This study, published in Obesity Surgery, explores the long-term effects of metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) on patient-centred outcomes such as mental health and quality of life (QOL) may enhance the management of obesity and the application of MBS.
Primary Health Care (International)
Co‐design is increasingly used to develop research interventions and community services, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of how this method drives change. This study, published in Health Expectations, evaluates the contextual factors and mechanisms shaping a co‐design process intended to foster local collaboration between social services, primary care and the third sector.
Primary Mental Health (International)
The objective of this article, published in Academic Pediatrics, was to evaluate whether an intensive, theory-based workforce retraining program for primary care clinicians (PCCs) improves their knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioural intentions to assess and manage suicidal ideation and behavior (SIB) in youth.
Increased Immunisation (International)
Vaccination is an important means of reducing morbidity and mortality caused by vaccine-preventable diseases. However, vaccination uptake among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Australia remains lower than the national average. Understanding the determinants of vaccine uptake is essential to inform culturally responsive and equity-focused immunisation strategies. The aim of this integrative review, published in Vaccine, is to explore the factors influencing vaccination uptake among people from CALD backgrounds in Australia.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) related cancers, particularly cervical cancer, remain a major public health challenge in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs), which bear a disproportionate share of global HPV-attributable mortality. Despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines for nearly two decades, vaccination coverage remains low in LLMICs. Several barriers ranging from health misinformation to systemic delivery challenges have hindered efforts to scale up vaccination programs in these settings. This systematic review, published in Vaccine, aims to identify and synthesise the behavioural and structural factors influencing HPV vaccine uptake among adolescents in LLMICs.
Smoking Cessation (International)
Tobacco smoking and e-cigarette use remain major global public health challenges, with current cessation strategies often limited by poor adherence, modest effectiveness, and accessibility barriers. Exercise is a promising behavioural strategy for nicotine cessation, but its effects on smoking and vaping outcomes are unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis, published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, aimed to synthesise evidence on the effects of single-bout and long-term exercise interventions on smoking and vaping cessation, cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and mood in adults.
Oral Health (International)
Despite growing concerns about the oral health‐diabetes link, there is a lack of dental health interventions focused on people with diabetes. This mapping review, published in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, synthesised the current landscape of oral health interventions for people with diabetes and identified future opportunities.
Ministry of Health Consultations & Events
The Ministry of Health is asking for your feedback on the draft Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy (the Strategy). The Strategy will set the direction for how the health system improves mental health and wellbeing outcomes for New Zealanders over the next ten years. That includes improving mental health and addiction support, preventing suicide, and reducing harms from substance use and gambling. Public consultation is open from 8 April to 18 May 2026.
Health Sector Initiative
In recent weeks, Le Va’s Atu-Mai violence prevention team has reached more than 345 young people across sites in south and east Auckland – from festival grounds to school halls, sports clubs and career expos. Every engagement carries a shared message: that culture, relationships and identity are the foundations of a safer, thriving community.
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.