📄 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

Antimalarial Pharmacotherapy Gaps in Nigerian Children Under Five: A Predictive Machine Learning Analysis of Care-Seeking, Testing, and ACT Treatment Using NDHS 2023-24

This study utilizing 2023-24 NDHS data and four machine learning models reveals that household and maternal characteristics poorly predict antimalarial care gaps in Nigerian children under five, though financial barriers consistently emerge as a significant determinant of suboptimal ACT treatment, suggesting cost reduction at the point of sale as a key intervention target.

Nosa-Ihaza, E. A., Shepherd-Moses, G., Okenwa, E. D., Nosa-Ihaza, U. N.2026-09-11
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Artificial Intelligence and Mobile Health Technologies for Improved Healthcare Access: Design and Pilot Evaluation of an Integrated Digital Health Platform for a Nigerian Teaching Hospital

This study presents the design and pilot evaluation of a locally deployed, AI-assisted mobile health platform at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, demonstrating its technical feasibility, high usability, and substantial clinical concordance in improving healthcare access for Nigerian university students.

Ochem, O. E., Ezego, O. P.2026-09-06✓ Author reviewed ⓘ
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Changes in Spatial Access to Obstetric Care in Germany from 2014 to 2024: A Nationwide Travel Time Analysis

Between 2014 and 2024, a 23.1% reduction in German maternity wards, driven by a small number of strategic closures, significantly increased critical travel times for over 100,000 women and exacerbated regional disparities in obstetric care access.

Kniffka, M. S., Ullrich-Kniffka, N., Bertens, L. C. M., Been, J. V., Lee, D. S., Koenigbauer, J. T., Goepfrich, A., Scho (…)2026-09-03
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Patient safety culture, teamwork, and observed perioperative safety compliance in a high-volume surgical unit

In a high-volume Indonesian surgical unit, a prospective observational study found that while patient safety culture directly improved perioperative safety compliance and fostered better teamwork, the latter did not significantly mediate the relationship between culture and observed checklist adherence.

Sahputri, V., Angeline, A., Tenggono, E.2026-09-02
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Community-led monitoring as a results-based strategy for improving rights-based HIV service delivery: A mixed-methods case study from Blantyre, Malawi

This mixed-methods case study from Blantyre, Malawi, reveals that while Community-led monitoring (CLM) functions as an informal, under-institutionalized accountability mechanism that improves communication, its impact on rights-based HIV service delivery is currently limited by low awareness and structural barriers, necessitating formalization and targeted strategies to bridge the gap between community awareness and active participation.

Banda, M. D., Malambo, M.2026-08-31
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Can Demographic and Health Surveys (2007-2024) Capture Alcohol Use Trends in Zambia?

This study demonstrates that Zambia's Demographic and Health Surveys (2007–2024) cannot reliably track national alcohol use trends due to significant inconsistencies in survey instruments, reference periods, fieldwork seasons, and proxy reporting, thereby preventing the country from effectively monitoring its alcohol reduction commitments.

Habbanti, S., Munkombwe, P., Zyambo, C.2026-08-19
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Operationalising the WHO call for integrated emergency care through a national ambulance alliance network: implementation experience and lessons from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PRECOS-1)

This paper reports the successful implementation of Ethiopia's HEARTS system and the PRECOS-1 study in Addis Ababa, demonstrating that a multi-provider national ambulance alliance can effectively coordinate fragmented emergency services, generate the first unified performance baseline, and provide a replicable model for integrated prehospital care across Africa.

Dula, P. K., Iverson, K. R., Azazh, A., Kifleyohanes, B., Shimber, E. T., Asefa, E. D., Mengie, H., Zenebe, N. A., Nuru (…)2026-07-25
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Healthcare Worker Preparedness for Snakebite Management in Selected Zambian Hospitals: An Exploratory Study

Despite high self-reported confidence, an exploratory study of 21 healthcare workers in seven Zambian hospitals reveals critical gaps in snakebite management preparedness, characterized by a lack of formal training, poor awareness of national guidelines, and low utilization of treatment protocols.

Chimfwembe, K., Uppal, A., Tianyi, F., Hamapa, A., Hangulu, L.2026-07-19✓ Author reviewed ⓘ
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Factors associated with delayed access of care among children under five with malaria and their outcomes at a regional referral hospital in Eastern Uganda

A cross-sectional study at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital in Eastern Uganda found that delayed access to care for children under five with malaria, which occurred in nearly 60% of cases, was significantly predicted by caregivers having tertiary education and initially using non-medical remedies, highlighting the urgent need for intensified health education to improve outcomes.

Yung, K. M. M., Ssenyonga, L. V., Oboth, P., Lyagoba, I., Olowo, S., Adongo, P. R.2026-07-18