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Objective: To undertake an economic analysis of the Take Charge intervention as part of the Taking Charge after Stroke (TaCAS) study. Design: An open, parallel-group, randomised trial comparing active and control interventions with blinded outcome assessment Setting: Community. Participants: Adults (n = 400) discharged to community, non-institutional living following acute stroke. Interventions: The Take Charge intervention, a strengths based, self-directed rehabilitation intervention, in two doses (one or two sessions), and a control intervention (no Take Charge sessions). Measures: The cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) saved for the period between randomisation (always post hospital discharge) and 12 months following acute stroke. QALYs were calculated from the EuroQol-5D-5L. Costs of stroke-related and non-health care were obtained by questionnaire, hospital records and the New Zealand Ministry of Health. Results: One-year post hospital discharge cost of care was mean (95% CI) $US4706 (3758–6014) for the Take Charge intervention group and $6118 (4350–8005) for control, mean (95% CI) difference $ −1412 (−3553 to +729). Health utility scores were mean (95% CI) 0.75 (0.73–0.77) for Take Charge and 0.71 (0.67–0.75) for control, mean (95% CI) difference 0.04 (0.0–0.08). Cost per QALY gained for the Take Charge intervention was $US −35,296 (=£ −25,524, € −30,019). Sensitivity analyses confirm Take Charge is cost-effective, even at a very low willingness-to-pay threshold. With a threshold of $US5000 per QALY, the probability that Take Charge is cost-effective is 99%. Conclusion: Take Charge is cost-effective and probably cost saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kaupapa Māori research (KMR) is an Indigenous research approach that is decolonizing and transformative. Interpretive description (ID) is a qualitative methodology used to generate knowledge relevant to the applied health disciplines. In this article, we discuss how we combined KMR and ID to investigate the experiences of Māori (the Indigenous peoples of New Zealand) with aphasia and their whānau (extended family). This is novel because it is the first time these two approaches have been combined. In the context of aphasia research, we discuss how they work together in theory, and the synergies that became apparent in practice. We conclude that the combination of KMR and ID enables clinicians and Māori with aphasia to learn from each other and work together, thereby generating knowledge that makes a difference for Māori with aphasia and their whānau. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: Few community interventions following stroke enhance activity, participation or quality of life. We tested two novel community interventions designed to promote self-directed rehabilitation following stroke.Design: This was a randomized, controlled parallel group 2×2 trial.Setting: Community.Participants: Maori and Pacific New Zealanders, >15 years old, randomized within three months of a new stroke.Interventions: A DVD of four inspirational stories by Maori and Pacific people with stroke and a ‘Take Charge Session’ – a single structured risk factor and activities of daily living assessment, designed to facilitate self-directed rehabilitation.Main measures: Primary outcomes were Health-related Quality of Life (Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores of the Short Form 36 (SF-36)) 12 months from randomization. Secondary outcomes were Barthel Index, Frenchay Activities Index, Carer Strain Index and modified Rankin score.Results: One hundred and seventy-two people were randomized with 139 (80.8%) followed up at 12 months post randomization. The effect of the Take Charge Session on SF-36 PCS at 12 months was 6.0 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0 to 10.0) and of the DVD was 0.9 (95% CI −3.1 to 4.9). Participants allocated to the Take Charge Session were less likely to have a modified Rankin score of >2 (odds ratio (OR) 0.42, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.89) and their carers had lower (better) Carer Strain Index scores (−1.5, 95% CI −2.8 to −0.1).Conclusion: A simple, low-cost intervention in the community phase of stroke recovery aiming to promote self-directed rehabilitation improved outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Māori health providers emerged in Aotearoa/New Zealand in the 1980s as a mechanism to achieve self‐determination for Māori communities. However, the contracts funding Māori health providers limit expressions of self‐determination and fail to reflect Te Tiriti O Waitangi, the founding treaty of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Significant health reforms are proposed in Aotearoa/New Zealand, including the creation of a Māori Health Authority that will commission services from Māori health providers. This paper aims to critique the government contracts provided to Māori health providers in the light of the health reforms. A discourse analysis was undertaken on contracts held by a Māori health provider. The study was informed by a Kaupapa Māori congruent methodology that centralised Māori knowledge. The contractural language utilised a variety of discursive techniques that ultimately limit the power of Māori health providers. These discursive techniques included the redefinition of Māori concepts of self‐determination, the use of rhetoric that was not matched by action, reshaping Māori health priorities to reflect the funders' priorities and the application of a deficit lens to Māori health issues. The discursive techniques present in these contracts is consistent with previous work demonstrating a failure of funders to centralise Māori knowledge and ways of being. Success of the proposed health reforms and the Māori Health Authority should require dismantling of non‐Māori ways of commissioning and contracting, otherwise there is the continued risk of discriminatory contracting practices limiting the expression of self‐determination for Māori health providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports an effective strategy for recruiting patients with asthma to a qualitative study using an animated comic advertised on social media. An ad spend of NZ$432 on Facebook resulted in 101 study enquiries, and 27 participants taking part in the focus groups, of which 16 (56%) were Māori, the Indigenous Peoples of New Zealand. Representation of Māori amongst participants was over five times higher than their proportion in the local population (9.7%), resulting in data fulfilling the principle of equal explanatory power, an approach to research which can help advance Māori health development and address inequity. The success of this campaign is of particular interest for health researchers in New Zealand where Māori continue to be disproportionately affected by poorer health outcomes compared with non-Māori, particularly those with asthma. Approaches that better engage and support participation of under-represented communities in clinical research are of wider global interest. We reflect on the recruitment strategy and outcomes within a Kaupapa Māori framework, explore how this can be applied more widely in healthcare, and suggest direction for future study and implementation. Lay summary We designed an animated comic to advertise a study for patients with asthma. This was shared locally with a Facebook ad. The approach was highly engaging with the public, and resulted in rapid recruitment. Interestingly, participation of Māori (the Indigenous People of New Zealand) was over five times higher than their proportion in the local population. Māori have poorer health outcomes and increased barriers to healthcare access compared with non-Māori, particularly those with asthma. Approaches which can engage and support under-represented communities to participate in clinical research are of wider global interest. In this article, we reflect on the recruitment strategy and outcomes, and suggest direction for future study and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to understand how consumers (person with stroke/family member/carer) and health workers perceive stroke care services. Consumers and health workers from across New Zealand were surveyed on perceptions of stroke care, access barriers, and views on service centralisation. Quantitative data were summarised using descriptive statistics whilst thematic analysis was used for free-text answers. Of 149 consumers and 79 health workers invited to complete a survey, 53 consumers (36.5%) and 41 health workers (51.8%) responded. Overall, 40/46 (87%) consumers rated stroke care as 'good/excellent' compared to 24/41 (58.6%) health workers. Approximately 72% of consumers preferred to transfer to a specialised hospital. We identified three major themes related to perceptions of stroke care: 1) 'variability in care by stage of treatment'; 2) 'impact of communication by health workers on care experience'; and 3) 'inadequate post-acute services for younger patients'. Four access barrier themes were identified: 1) 'geographic inequities'; 2) 'knowing what is available'; 3) 'knowledge about stroke and available services'; and 4) 'healthcare system factors'. Perceptions of stroke care differed between consumers and health workers, highlighting the importance of involving both in service co-design. Improving communication, post-hospital follow-up, and geographic equity are key areas for improvement. Provision of detailed information on stroke recovery and available services in the community is recommended. Improvements in the delivery of post-hospital stroke care are required to optimise stroke care, with options including routine phone follow up appointments and wider development of early supported discharge services. Stroke rehabilitation services should continue to be delivered 'close to home' to allow community integration. Telehealth is a likely enabler to allow specialist urban clinicians to support non-urban clinicians, as well as increasing the availability and access of community rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary care in Aotearoa New Zealand is largely delivered by general practices, heavily subsidised by government. Te Tiriti o Waitangi (1840) guarantees equal health outcomes for Māori and non-Māori, but differences are stark and longstanding. Seven models of primary care have evolved. We hypothesised that patient health outcomes would differ between models of care; and that Māori, Pacific peoples and those living in material deprivation would have poorer outcomes from primary care. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of patient-level data from national datasets and practices, at 30 September 2018, using multilevel mixed effects regression analyses (patients clustered within practices). Primary outcomes, considered to be measures of unmet need for primary care, were polypharmacy (≥ 65 years), HbA1c testing in adults with diabetes, childhood immunisations (6 months), ambulatory sensitive hospitalisations (0–14, 45–64 years) and emergency department attendances. Explanatory variables adjusted for patient and practice characteristics. Equity, by model of care, ethnicity and deprivation, was assumed if they showed no significant association with patient outcomes. Patient characteristics included: age, ethnicity, deprivation, multi-morbidity, first specialist assessments and practice continuity. Practice characteristics included: size, funding and doctor continuity. Clinical input (consultations and time with nurses and doctors) was considered a measure of practice response. Results: The study included 924 general practices with 4,491,964 enrolled patients. Traditional practices enrolled 73% of the population, but, on average, the proportion of Māori, Pacific and people living with material deprivation was low in any one Traditional practice. Patients with high health needs disproportionately enrolled in Māori, Pacific and Trust/NGO practices. There were multiple associations between models of care and patient health outcomes in fully adjusted regressions. No one model of care out-performed others across all outcomes. Patients with higher health need received more clinical input but this was insufficient to achieve equity in all outcomes. Being a Māori or Pacific patient, or living in material deprivation, across models of care, remained associated with poorer outcomes. Conclusions: Model-level associations with poor patient outcomes suggest inequity in measures that might be used to target investment in primary care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of a culturally diverse surgical workforce, largely on the basis of gender, has been highly promoted in Australasia in the last decade. Despite this, discussions of gender diversity in surgery have largely excluded Indigenous women. This study presents the experiences of wāhine Māori and Pasifika doctors in Aotearoa, who formed a surgical sisterhood to support them towards applying for advanced surgical training. Utilising mana wāhine and Masi methodologies, semi-structured interpersonal interviews were undertaken with five wāhine who formed the surgical sisterhood. Following transcription and analysis of all interviews, four key themes were identified. These were mana wāhine, unity, our why and change on the horizon. These themes illustrate the complex and varied experiences of wāhine Māori and Pasifika and how they have navigated their surgical pathways amidst multiple layers of discrimination towards being in a position to apply for advanced surgical training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the rehabilitation experiences of Māori who were still reporting disability 24 months after an injury resulting in hospitalisation. Participants had been hospitalised for an Accident Compensation Corporation (New Zealand's no-fault injury compensation insurer) entitlement claim injury between 2007 and 2009, and were experiencing disability 24 months post-injury. In-depth kanohi ki te kanohi (face-to-face) qualitative interviews with 12 participants aged between 37 and 71 years at the time of interviews were conducted. Interpretive analyses of interview transcripts, focused on the impacts of injury was conducted with the aid of NVivo software. The overarching theme identified during the analysis was "Impact" with four sub-themes of: Impact on daily life; Impact on relationships, Impact on employment; and, long-term or ongoing impacts. For Māori living with disability 24 months after hospitalisation for injury, adjusting to life after the injury and the rehabilitation process was challenging. Participants discussed frustration with feeling dependent on others, being bored and feeling unfulfilled after their injury, and that many aspects of their lives were impacted on and not always in the expected directions. Many reported longer lasting impacts even after rehabilitation was completed. Implications for rehabilitation programmes e.g., strengthening programmes by taking into account issues discussed by participants, recognising the long-term impacts on both those injured and their whānau (family), and further investigations required are also discussed. Disability after injury can have long term impacts for injured Māori and their relationships. Social impacts can be perceived as more debilitating than the physical impacts after injury. Experiences of employment changes and future prospects are often difficult to navigate for Māori returning to work after an injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To use secondary data from the Taking Charge after Stroke study to explore mechanisms for the positive effect of the Take Charge intervention on physical health, advanced activities of daily living and independence for people after acute stroke. Design: An open, parallel-group, randomised trial with two active and one control intervention and blinded outcome assessment. Setting: Community. Participants: Adults (n = 400) discharged to community, non-institutional living following acute stroke. Interventions: One, two, or zero sessions of the Take Charge intervention, a self-directed rehabilitation intervention which helps a person with stroke take charge of their own recovery. Measures: Twelve months after stroke: Mood (Patient Health Questionnaire-2, Mental Component Summary of the Short Form 36); 'ability to Take Charge' using a novel measure, the Autonomy-Mastery-Purpose-Connectedness (AMP-C) score; activation (Patient Activation Measure); body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP) and medication adherence (Medication Adherence Questionnaire). Results: Follow-up was near-complete (388/390 (99.5%)) of survivors at 12 months. Mean age (SD) was 72.0 (12.5) years. There were no significant differences in mood, activation, 'ability to Take Charge', medication adherence, BMI or BP by randomised group at 12 months. There was a significant positive association between baseline AMP-C scores and 12-month outcome for control participants (1.73 (95%CI 0.90 to 2.56)) but not for the Take Charge groups combined (0.34 (95%CI −0.17 to 0.85)). Conclusion: The mechanism by which Take Charge is effective remains uncertain. However, our findings support a hypothesis that baseline variability in motivation, mastery and connectedness may be modified by the Take Charge intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge about aspects that influence recovery and adaptation in the postacute phase of disabling health events is key to understanding how best to provide appropriate rehabilitation and health services. Qualitative longitudinal research makes it possible to look for patterns, key time points and critical moments that could be vital for interventions and supports. However, strategies that support robust data management and analysis for longitudinal qualitative research in health-care are not well documented in the literature. This article reviews three challenges encountered in a large longitudinal qualitative descriptive study about experiences of recovery and adaptation after traumatic brain injury in New Zealand, and the strategies and technologies used to address them. These were (i) tracking coding and analysis decisions during an extended analysis period; (ii) navigating interpretations over time and in response to new data; and (iii) exploiting data volume and complexity. Concept mapping during coding review, a considered combination of information technologies, employing both cross-sectional and narrative analysis, and an expectation that subanalyses would be required for key topics helped us manage the study in a way that facilitated useful and novel insights. These strategies could be applied in other qualitative longitudinal studies in healthcare inquiry to optimise data analysis and stimulate important insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION Can one tablet containing aspirin, statin, and blood pressure lowering agents improve adherence and risk factor control compared with usual care of patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease in primary care? SUMMARY ANSWER Fixed dose combination treatment improved adherence to all the recommended drugs, but improvements in clinical risk factors were small and did not reach statistical significance. WHAT IS KNOWN AND WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS Two recent long term trials indicate large improvements in self reported adherence to the recommended drugs and modest improvements in risk factor control in high risk patients receiving fixed dose combination treatment. The main findings of this trial were consistent with those of the earlier trials, and acceptability for this treatment was high among general practitioners and patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]