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Background Digital contact tracing (DCT) was a central component of the global response to containing COVID‐19. Research has raised concerns that DCT could exacerbate inequities, yet the experiences of diverse communities at greater risk from COVID‐19 are typically underrepresented. Methods The present study aimed to understand the perceived barriers to the adoption of the app amongst Māori, Pasifika, and disabled people. Focus groups and interviews were undertaken with Māori, Pasifika, and disability sector stakeholders and community participants. Results Participants (n = 34) generally expressed willingness to utilise DCT and support its adoption within the communities. Simultaneously, participants revealed how the app could marginalise community members who struggled with the usability and those distrusting of the government's COVID‐19 interventions. Conclusions The findings highlight how addressing communication inequality can assist in the development of contact‐tracing responses that are both effective and equitable. The study provides insights about the role of information and communication technologies as health resources. Patient or Public Contribution Consulting with members of the target communities was central throughout the present study, including recommendations for potential participants, participation in interviews and sharing early findings for feedback. This study reports on focus groups and interviews with individuals from Māori and disability sectors.

Compares rates of recovery (according to a measure of disability) over 24 months following injury for those with no pre-existing comorbid conditions, one comorbidity and multimorbidity from within a general injury population. Aims to add important knowledge to the evidence base helping researchers and health providers identify and implement better supports for those with poorer recovery rates. Source: National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence.

Background In Ghana, the community-based health planning and services (CHPS) policy highlights the significance of both community health management committees (CHMCs) and community health volunteers (CHVs) in the Ghanaian health system. However, research into their specific effects on health system improvement is scarce. Some research has focussed on the roles of the CHMCs/CHVs in implementing specific targeted health interventions but not on improving the overall health system. Therefore, this research aims to examine the role of the CHMCs and CHVs in improving the Ghanaian health system. Methods The study was conducted in three districts in the Ashanti region of Ghana. A total of 35 participants, mainly health service users and health professionals, participated in the study. Data were collected using semi-structured individual in-depth interviews. Participants were selected according to their patient–public engagement or community health activity roles. Data were transcribed and analysed descriptively using NVIVO 12 Plus. Results We found that the effectiveness of CHMCs and CHVs in health systems improvement depends largely on how members are selected. Additionally, working through CHMC and CHVs improves resource availability for community health services, and using them in frontline community health activities improves health outcomes. Conclusions Overall, we recommend that, for countries with limited healthcare resources such as Ghana, leveraging the significant role of the CHMCs and CHVs is key in complementing government’s efforts to improve resource availability for healthcare services. Community health management committees and CHVs are key in providing basic support to communities with limited healthcare personnel. Thus, there is a need to strengthen their capacities to improve the overall health system.

BackgroundCommunity-based health interventions have been implemented as a key strategy for achieving improved health outcomes in Ghana. Effectiveness, however, largely depends on the successful implementation of patient–public engagement (PPE). Although several PPE studies have been conducted in Ghana, little research has been done to understand the specific role of PPE in the context of implementing community-based health programmes. This paper, therefore, examines the extent of PPE implementation in three selected community-based health programmes (Community-based Health Planning and Service [CHPS], Community-based Maternal and Child Health and Buruli Ulcer) to understand their specific effects on health outcomes.MethodsThree focus groups, involving 26 participants, were held in three districts of the Ashanti region of Ghana. Participants were mainly health service users involving community health committee members/volunteers, residents and health professionals. They were invited to participate based on their roles in the design and implementation of the programmes. Participants focused on each of Rifkin's spider-gram components. Data were transcribed and analysed descriptively using NVIVO 12 Plus.ResultsPPE implementation was found to be extensive across the three programmes in specific areas such as organisation and resource mobilisation. PPE was more restricted in relation to community needs assessment, leadership and management, particularly for the CHPS and Buruli Ulcer programmes.ConclusionFindings suggest that benefits from community-based health interventions are likely to be greater if PPE can be widely implemented across all dimensions of the spider-gram framework.

Background Actively involving patients and communities in health decisions can improve both peoples’ health and the health system. One key strategy is Patient-Public Engagement (PPE). This scoping review aims to identify and describe PPE research in Sub-Saharan Africa; systematically map research to theories of PPE; and identify knowledge gaps to inform future research and PPE development. Methods The review followed guidelines for conducting and reporting scoping reviews. A systematic search of peer-reviewed English language literature published between January 1999 and December 2019 was conducted on Scopus, Medline (Ovid), CINAHL and Embase databases. Independent full text screening by three reviewers followed title and abstract screening. Using a thematic framework synthesis, eligible studies were mapped onto an engagement continuum and health system level matrix to assess the current focus of PPE in Sub-Saharan Africa. Results Initially 1948 articles were identified, but 18 from 10 Sub-Saharan African countries were eligible for the final synthesis. Five PPE strategies implemented were: 1) traditional leadership support, 2) community advisory boards, 3) community education and sensitisation, 4) community health volunteers/workers, and 5) embedding PPE within existing community structures. PPE initiatives were located at either the ‘involvement’ or ‘consultation’ stages of the engagement continuum, rather than higher-level engagement. Most PPE studies were at the ‘service design’ level of the health system or were focused on engagement in health research. No identified studies reported investigating PPE at the ‘individual treatment’ or ‘macro policy/strategic’ level. Conclusion This review has successfully identified and evaluated key PPE strategies and their focus on improving health systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. PPE in Sub-Saharan Africa was characterised by tokenism rather than participation. PPE implementation activities are currently concentrated at the ‘service design’ or health research levels. Investigation of PPE at all the health system levels is required, including prioritising patient/community preferences for health system improvement.

Background Māori have been found to experience marked health inequities compared to non-Māori, including for injury. Accessing healthcare services post-injury can improve outcomes; however, longer-term experiences of healthcare access for injured Māori are unknown. This paper reports on data from the longitudinal Prospective Outcomes of Injury Study – 10 year follow up (POIS-10) Māori study in Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ), to qualitatively understand Māori experiences of accessing injury-related healthcare services long-term. Methods Follow-up telephone interviews were conducted with 305 POIS-10 Māori participants, who were injured and recruited 12-years earlier, experiencing a range of injury types and severities. Free text responses about trouble accessing injury-related health services were thematically analysed. Results Sixty-one participants (20%) reported trouble accessing injury-related health services and provided free text responses. Three related themes describing participants’ experiences were connected by the overarching concept that participants were engaging with a system that was not operating in a way it was intended to work: 1) Competing responsibilities and commitments encapsulates practical barriers to accessing services, such as a lack of time and having to prioritise other responsibilities such as work or whānau (family); 2) D isrupted mana refers to the feelings of personal disempowerment through, for example, receiving limited support, care or information tailored to participants’ circumstances and is a consequence of patients contending with the practical barriers to accessing services; and 3) Systemic abdication highlights systemic barriers including conflicting information regarding diagnoses and treatment plans, and healthcare provider distrust of participants. Conclusions Twelve years post-injury, a considerable proportion of Māori reported experiencing barriers to accessing healthcare services. To restore a sense of manaakitanga and improve Māori access to healthcare, Māori-specific supports are required and systemic barriers must be addressed and removed.

IntroductionIndigenous people, including Māori in New Zealand, face many inequities in health and the determinants of health. Historically, the analysis and reporting of Indigenous health in the literature has usually taken a western medical view, often with a descriptive and deficit-oriented approach—ignoring the holistic nature of Indigenous health. This project takes a nondeficit approach and is interested in the factors that support the health and well-being of Indigenous people, including Māori. Flourishing is a recent and increasingly used term within the well-being literature; however, concepts, theories and determinants related to Indigenous flourishing are largely unknown. This scoping review aims to identify, describe and synthesise the nature and extent of the current empirical literature related to concepts, theories and determinants of Indigenous flourishing, in health and well-being contexts.Methods and analysisScoping review methods and guidelines included in the framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley, and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews, will be followed for best practice and reporting of this scoping review. The literature for this review will be identified by searching the following databases: Medline (OVID), EMBASE (Ovid), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Scopus, MAI journal, the Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. The research team has formulated a systematic search strategy, which will be restricted to articles published between January 1970 and May 2020 and published in the English language. Two reviewers will independently screen eligible studies for final study selection. A third reviewer will resolve any discrepancies that arise. Data from included studies will be extracted and included in thematic analysis, using a tool developed iteratively by the research team.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was not required for this review. Dissemination of results will include publication in peer-reviewed journal articles, presentation of results at conferences and interactive discussions with a project expert advisory group. This scoping review also informs a larger project, examining the long-term health and flourishing of Māori, the Indigenous people of New Zealand and their whānau (families).

Background Studies examining the impact of injury on health-related quality of life (HRQL) over time are necessary to understand the short- and long-term consequences of injury for population health. The aim of this systematic review was to provide an evidence update on studies that have measured HRQL over time in general injury populations using a generic (general) health state measure. Methods Studies conducted between 2010 and 2018 that assessed HRQL at more than one time point among general injury populations were eligible for inclusion. Two reviewers independently extracted information from each study on design, HRQL measure used, method of HRQL measure administration, timing of assessment(s), predictive variables, ability to detect change, and findings. Quality appraisals of each study were also completed by two reviewers using items from the RTI Item Bank on Risk of Bias and Precision of Observational Studies and the Guidelines for the Conduction of Follow-up Studies Measuring Injury-Related Disability. Results Twenty-nine studies (44 articles) that met the inclusion criteria were identified. HRQL was measured using 14 different generic measures; the SF-36, SF-12, and EQ-5D were used most frequently. A varying number of follow-up assessments were undertaken, ranging from one to five. Follow-up often occurred 12 months post-injury. Fewer studies ( n  = 11) examined outcomes two or more years post-injury, and only one to 10 years post-injury. While most studies documented improvements in HRQL over time since the injury event, study populations had not returned to pre-injury status or reached general population norm HRQL values at post-injury follow-ups. Conclusions Since 2010 there has been a substantial increase in the number of studies evaluating the HRQL of general injury populations. However, significant variability in study design continues to impede quantification of the impact of injury on population health over time. Variation between studies is particularly evident with respect to timing and number of follow-up assessments, and selection of instruments to evaluate HRQL.

Background Patient recall or the application of population norms are commonly used methods to estimate (unobservable) health status prior to acute-onset illness or injury; however, both measures are potentially subject to bias. This article reports tests of the validity of both approaches, and discusses the implications for reporting changes in health-related quality of life following acute-onset illness or injury. Methods Recalled pre-injury health status and health status at 5- and 12-months post-injury were collected from participants in a prospective cohort study of people injured in New Zealand. Reported post-injury health status was compared with recalled pre-injury status and New Zealand norms for two groups: those who reported having fully recovered, and those who had not. Results There was a small but statistically significant difference between pre- and post-injury health state valuations for people who had fully recovered, with recalled pre-injury health status being higher than reported post-injury health. Perceived health status for those who had fully recovered was significantly higher than the population norm. Conclusions Retrospective evaluation of health status is more appropriate than the application of population norms to estimate health status prior to acute-onset injury or illness, although there may be a small upward bias in such measurements.

Background Patient and public engagement in paediatric health‐care decision making is under‐researched, and there is a lack of systematically reviewed literature in this area. Objective To examine the extent, range and nature of published research investigating the engagement of children/youth, families and the public in paediatric service improvement, to summarize key aspects of the research identified and to identify gaps to help inform future research needs. Methods Literature was sought in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL. Eligible articles presented research focused on patient, family and public engagement strategies in the paediatric health‐care setting. Two reviewers extracted and charted data and analysed findings using a descriptive numerical summary analysis and a thematic analysis. Results From 4331 articles, 21 were eligible. Most were from the United States. The majority of studies were undertaken in hospital settings and used quantitative methods. Various patient and public engagement strategies/interventions were examined, including shared decision‐making tools, questionnaires, youth councils/family advisory groups, patient portals and online networks. Most of the studies examined child/youth/parent satisfaction, with fewer investigating treatment outcomes or service improvement. The majority of studies investigated an engagement strategy at the ‘individual treatment’ level of engagement. Regarding the continuum of engagement, most of the studies were at either the ‘consultation’ or ‘involvement’ stage. Conclusion Future research needs to focus on the investigation of engagement strategies delivered in primary care, and the use of more qualitative and mixed methods approaches is recommended. There is a gap in the area of engagement strategies directed towards ‘service design and resources’ and ‘macro/policy’ levels.