Falling through the cracks: Evaluating the role of nonacute surgical liaison personnel during COVID-19-A narrative review.

BACKGROUND: In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Zealand government instituted a 4-level alert system, which resulted in the rapid dissolution of nonurgent surgical services to minimize occupational exposure to both patients and staff, with the primary health sector bearing most of the diverted caseload. Consequently, the study authors sought to collate information around the establishment of a supportive nonacute surgical liaison role in a public hospital surgical department, with an interest in establishing this role in New Zealand. METHODS: The narrative review conducted systematically in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Databases searched included Pubmed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials. A deductive analysis was applied using a demand management model developed by the Institute for Innovation and Improvement at Waitemata District Health Board. All included studies were rated using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Levels of Evidence tool. RESULTS: Collation of 19 studies resulted in 3 key findings: first, that a surgical liaison could be utilized at the primary care to specialist interface to improve communication and workflow between services. Second, a liaison could be utilized directly communicating with patients as a means of increasing engagement and self-management. Finally, this service can be offered through multiple modalities including a noncontact telehealth service. CONCLUSION: Evidence of nonacute surgical liaisons both internationally and specifically within New Zealand has been collated to provide evidence for its application.

Enhancing responsiveness to Maori in a publicly funded bariatric service in Aotearoa New Zealand.

BACKGROUND: Health equity is a fundamental right afforded to all regardless of ethnicity. However, in New Zealand (NZ), health inequities are most compelling for Indigenous Maori who experience inadequate access to services, poorer quality of care and poor health outcomes as a result. Bariatric surgery is the most effective intervention for weight loss and remission of obesity-related disease where all other interventions have been exhausted. This Kaupapa Maori qualitative study presents Maori perspectives of bariatric surgery from the largest public bariatric centre in NZ and offers solutions for enhancing bariatric service responsiveness to Maori. METHODS: This qualitative study was informed by Kaupapa Maori methodology and involved a general inductive thematic analysis of 31 semi-structured interviews with Maori patients who had bariatric surgery at Counties Manukau Health in South Auckland, NZ. RESULTS: Four key themes were identified following analysis: (i) Kaupapa Maori standards of health; (ii) bariatric mentors; (iii) bariatric psychologists; and (iv) community-integrated support. These themes offer four tangible solutions for optimizing bariatric pathways for Maori from the perspectives of Maori bariatric patients. CONCLUSION: Kaupapa Maori, community-centred and greater non-surgeon aspects of bariatric supportive mechanisms comprise key areas of opportunity for public bariatric pathways in NZ. Surgical leadership is required to advance health equity and service responsiveness to Maori.

Portrayal of bariatric surgery in the New Zealand print news media.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery has become topical in the media worldwide, influencing wider societal attitudes towards obesity and obesity management. This study aims to explore the media portrayal of bariatric surgery in all print news articles published in New Zealand (NZ) over a decade. METHODS: An electronic search of two databases (Proquest Australia/NZ Newsstream and Newztext) and two NZ news media websites (Stuff and the NZ Herald) was performed to retrieve print news articles reporting stories, opinion pieces or editorials regarding bariatric surgery published between January 2007 to June 2017. Qualitative thematic analysis was performed on all included articles. RESULTS: From January 2007 to December 2017, 252 articles related to bariatric surgery were published. Seven major themes emerged centred around barriers to accessing bariatric surgery, deficit attitudes towards obesity and social justice. These views were driven by articles that debated the limited number of publicly funded bariatric procedures offered in NZ. In addition, healthcare professionals used the media as a platform to challenge discriminatory attitudes towards obesity and bariatric surgery. CONCLUSION: The NZ media is a powerful tool that still bolsters binary perspectives of obesity and bariatric surgery which may work against addressing the obesity epidemic.

Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair in South Auckland, New Zealand-A Retrospective Review.

BACKGROUND: Ethnic disparities in surgical care and outcomes have been previously reported in studies for other surgical procedures. In addition, it has been reported that ethnic differences in postoperative analgesia exist. We aimed to determine ethnic disparities in postoperative outcomes, total opioid analgesia use, and complication rates of all patients who underwent a laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) at our institution over a 3-y period. METHODS: A retrospective review of all patients who underwent an LVHR at Counties Manukau Health from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2015, was performed in line with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology statement. RESULTS: A total of 267 ventral hernias were repaired in 254 patients at Counties Manukau Health over the study period, of which most were primary umbilical ventral hernias. The majority of patients in our cohort were New Zealand European and male. Major complications, as per the Clavien-Dindo classification grade 3 and above, were observed in six patients with no deaths (2.4%). There were no statistically significant ethnic disparities in length of stay, receipt of opioid analgesia, and rates of complication observed after linear regression modeling after adjustment for confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the majority of patients who had a ventral hernia repaired at our institution were mostly New Zealand European and male. Although significant ethnic disparities in patient characteristics were observed, these were not associated with ethnic disparities in postoperative outcomes after an LVHR.

Systematic review of disparities in surgical care for Maori in New Zealand.

BACKGROUND: Health equity for Indigenous peoples in the context of surgery has recently become topical amongst surgeons in Australasia. Health inequities are amongst the most consistent and compelling disparities between Maori and New Zealand Europeans (NZE) in New Zealand (NZ). We aimed to investigate where ethnic disparities in surgical care may occur and highlight some of the potential contributing factors, over all surgical specialties, between Maori and NZE adults in NZ. METHODS: A systematic review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. A series of electronic searches were performed in Medline, Embase, PubMed and CINAHL. RESULTS: Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. All studies employed a range of indicators for surgical care including receipt of surgery following diagnosis, delays to treatment and post-operative morbidity and mortality. Disparities in the receipt of surgical treatment for several cancers were observed for Maori and remained after adjustment for socioeconomic variables and extent of disease. Maori were more likely to experience delays in treatment and referral to other medical specialties involved in their care. CONCLUSION: Despite the significant variation in the types of diseases, procedures and indicators of surgical care of the included studies, consistent findings are that disparities in different aspects of surgical care exist between Maori and NZE in NZ. This review highlights the need to better quantify the important issue of health equity for Maori in surgery given the lack of studies over the majority of surgical specialties.