All the news from the newsletter
This section features items which have recently appeared in the Observatoire international de la santé et des services sociaux (OISSS) monitoring bulletin.
UK - Influences on the adoption of patient safety innovation in primary care: a qualitative exploration of staff perspectives 
06/14/2018This study conducted at 46 British healthcare sites describes the reactions of primary care staff to a new Patient Safety Toolkit comprised of six tools: a system of rapid note review, a staff survey, a patient safety questionnaire, prescribing safety indicators, a medicines reconciliation tool, and a safe systems checklist. Study participants favoured tools that provided relevant information with a minimal impact on resources....
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Sweden - Understanding the dynamics of sustainable change: A 20-year case study of integrated health and social care
06/14/2018Achieving sustainability can be difficult in integrated healthcare. This Swedish study gained insight into sustainable changes in health and social care through a 20-year analysis (1995-2005) of local health system actions triggered by the institution of a national psychiatric policy. The study found that inter-organizational cooperation at service level was key to ongoing quality improvement and learning based on the needs of the service user....
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UK - Innovative models of general practice
06/14/2018Dealing with increasing and ever more complex workloads, general practices in the UK now face significant challenges. This report by a private think-tank says new general practice clinical delivery models are needed to meet the demands of Britain’s aging population and changing disease burden. It highlights team-based working, digital innovations, community-centred approaches and collaborative care. A large number of case studies are included....
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Sweden - Exploring the potential of a multi-level approach to improve capability for continuous organizational improvement and learning in a Swedish healthcare region
06/14/2018Strategies for continuous organizational improvement and learning are needed in Sweden’s municipally run healthcare regions. This study applied a sustainable improvement/development strategic systematic approach (SIDSSA) for continuous improvement in two municipal systems that included a multilevel strategy, development modules, and an action-learning loop. Participants reported acquiring new insights and skills, and the participating municipalities subsequently adopted SIDSSA for their regional health systems. ...
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Canada - Change in health care use after coordinated care planning: a quasi-experimental study
06/14/2018Conducted in southern Ontario’s Hamilton-Niagara region, this study investigated whether 600 patients with a coordinated care plan differed in their use of health care (number of ER visits, inpatient admissions, and length of hospital stays) compared with a control group of patients with no care plans. Results showed care plan beneficiaries had fewer ER visits but found no significant difference in admissions to, or length of stay in hospital....
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Australia - Investing to Save: The economic benefits for Australia of investment in mental health reform
06/14/2018Australia’s Health Ministry outlines ‘win-win’ recommendations for investment in mental health that deliver economic returns to government and the economy while also achieving positive health and social outcomes for people experiencing mental health problems. It recommends workforce and employment support for individuals with mental health issues and calls for significant investments in prevention, early intervention, and mental health promotion....
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Canada - Key Health Inequalities in Canada. A National Portrait
06/14/2018Published by the Public Health Agency of Canada, this report describes key health inequalities in Canada with data on 70 indicators of health outcomes, risk factors, and the social determinants of health. Overall, significant health inequalities were observed among Indigenous peoples, racial and sexual minorities, immigrants and people with functional limitations. The report is accompanied by an online interactive database, the Health Inequalities Data Tool....
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International - WHO launches Global Action Plan on Physical Activity
06/14/2018Worldwide, one in five adults remain physically inactive. The WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity shows how countries can reduce physical inactivity by 15% by 2030. It recommends a set of 20 policy areas to create more active societies by improving recreational environments and opportunities for exercise....
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International - Commission calls for urgent action against chronic diseases
06/14/2018This report from the WHO Independent High-level Commission on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) demands high-level political commitment and the immediate scaling up of actions to address the global epidemic of NCDs. Cancer, diabetes, lung and heart diseases now kill 41 million people around the world annually....
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New Zealand - Major review of health system launched
06/14/2018New Zealand’s government has announced a wide-ranging review of the country’s healthcare and disability services that will look for ways to improve, modernize, and personalize the system as it moves forward. The review will include a strong focus on primary and community based care, and issue a final report in January 2020. ...
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