📄 Category

health systems and quality improvement

98 papers

Improving health systems means finding smarter ways to deliver care, reduce errors, and ensure patients receive the best possible treatment. This field explores how hospitals and clinics can function more effectively, focusing on the practical changes that lead to better outcomes for everyone involved. It is less about discovering new drugs and more about refining the everyday processes that keep our healthcare networks running smoothly.

At Gist.Science, we track every new preprint in this category from medRxiv to bring you the latest research immediately. Our team processes these papers to provide both detailed technical summaries for experts and clear, plain-language explanations for anyone interested in how healthcare can improve. We believe that understanding these systemic changes is vital for building a more resilient future.

Below are the latest studies and insights from the health systems and quality improvement community, sorted by their recent submission dates.

📄 health systems and quality improvement

Evaluation of a pharmacist-led audit and feedback intervention to reduce Gentamicin prescribing errors at admission in neonatal inpatient care in Kenya: A controlled interrupted time series study

This controlled interrupted time series study in Kenya found that while a pharmacist-led audit and feedback intervention did not significantly reduce gentamicin prescribing errors in isolation, it was associated with a positive trend in reducing error rates relative to control hospitals that lacked pharmacist involvement.

Tuti, T., Aluvaala, J., Mulaku, M., Aywak, D., Ogolla, M., Mbevi, G., English, M.2026-01-30
📄 health systems and quality improvement

A Randomized Feasibility Trial of a Multicomponent Quality Improvement Strategy for Chronic Care of Cardiovascular Diseases: Findings from the C-QIP Trial in India

The C-QIP trial demonstrated that a multicomponent quality improvement strategy in India was feasible, acceptable, and significantly improved guideline-directed medical therapy, patient adherence, and care processes for chronic cardiovascular diseases, despite not showing significant differences in clinical risk factors.

Singh, K., Roy, A., Kondal, D., Nikhare, K., Gandral, M., Patil, S., Aithal, K., MP, G., Gupta, M., Madan, K., Sawhney (…)2026-01-30
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Balancing data quality and participant burden: A comparative analysis of abbreviated vs extended symptom diaries in the CanTreatCOVID trial

This secondary analysis of the CanTreatCOVID trial demonstrates that abbreviated and extended symptom diaries yield comparable adherence, symptom trajectories, and predictive performance for recovery outcomes in outpatient SARS-CoV-2 patients, suggesting that shorter formats may effectively reduce participant burden without compromising data quality.

Hosseini, B., Mohammadrezaei, D., Balalaie, P., Sivayoganathan, K., Condon, A., da Costa, B. R., Daley, P., Greiver, M. (…)2026-01-28
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Prevalence and characteristics of medication errors at the outpatient settings, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH): Retrospective study.

This retrospective study at JDWNRH's outpatient department reveals that prescribing errors constitute the majority of medication errors (2.27% of prescriptions), with dosing mistakes being the most common type and pharmacist-led interventions successfully preventing over 90% of potential harm, highlighting the need for enhanced prescriber training and integrated pharmacist support.

Tshering, K., Rabgay, K., Dorji, K. R., Wangchuk, K., Thinley, T., Bhattarai, K. B., Dema, U., Cheda, T., Blon, T. D., D (…)2026-01-25
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Data quality and associations over 4 years of use of WHO's Clinical Registry - Trauma Module, in Rwanda

A four-year retrospective analysis of the WHO Clinical Registry Trauma Module in Rwanda reveals that while the system captured over 13,000 cases, data quality remained highly variable with significant missingness, ultimately collapsing to 100% when external funding ceased, highlighting the critical dependence of data collection in low-resource settings on sustained financial and training support.

Welgama, I. P., Ntezimana, J. N., Bagahirwa, I., Umuhoza, V., Iradukunda, F., Lange, D., Ghalichi, L., Jayaraman, S., Ch (…)2026-01-25
📄 health systems and quality improvement

General healthcare preferences for people aged 50 and over in England: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, this study reveals that while general healthcare preferences among adults aged 50 and over in England vary significantly, they follow systematic patterns by age and sex, suggesting these demographic factors can guide initial discussions but should not replace individualized preference elicitation.

Steel, N., Zaninotto, P., Enwo, O. O., James, B.2026-01-21
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Understanding the Experiences and Needs of Participants in Decentralised Clinical Trials: A Qualitative Analysis

This qualitative study of fourteen participants reveals that while decentralised clinical trials offer adaptability and benefits, they also introduce significant challenges such as fragmented care, confusion, and hidden workloads, underscoring the urgent need to redesign trial technologies and processes to better support participant well-being and engagement.

Gamble, E., Heavin, C., Linehan, C.2026-01-15