📄 Category

health systems and quality improvement

104 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

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
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Geographic variation in delays for endoscopy and imaging in England since COVID: analysis of monthly diagnostics data

Although diagnostic testing delays in England partially improved post-pandemic, recent progress has stalled or reversed for key endoscopy and MRI services, with substantial and persistent geographic variation and divergent local trends indicating a need for targeted policy interventions.

White, B., Barclay, M. E., Lyratzopoulos, G., Swann, R., Francetic, I., Sutton, M., Abel, G.2026-07-06
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Factors associated with the readiness assessment of health facility services in Yaounde, Cameroon

A 2024 cross-sectional study of 205 health facilities in Yaounde, Cameroon, found that only 57.1% met operational readiness benchmarks, with the absence of PMTCT and childbirth services identified as key independent factors associated with lower readiness, suggesting that strengthening maternal and child health services could serve as a strategic entry point for broader health system improvements.

Tedjo Pokam, G. O., Nkum, C. B., Yopa, D. S., Ngoufack, M. N., Nounkeu, C. D., Lekelem Dongmo, G. P., Netongo, P. M., Ns (…)2026-07-03
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Effectiveness of a Blended Learning Approach for Strengthening Capacity in Neglected Tropical Disease Control in India and Nigeria

This mixed-methods study demonstrates that a contextually adapted blended learning program is a feasible, acceptable, and cost-effective strategy for significantly improving knowledge and service delivery among Neglected Tropical Disease health workers in India and Nigeria, thereby supporting global elimination goals.

Udo, S., Darlong, J., Kumar, P., Kumar, D., Ibrahim, M., Ayuba, T., Tsaku, P. A., Fenenga, C.2026-07-01
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Evaluating the applicability of replication success metrics in animal-to-human translation: A simulation study

This simulation study evaluates nine replication success metrics for assessing animal-to-human translation, finding that while no single metric is universally optimal, combining multiple approaches—particularly the controlled sceptical p-value and weighted Edgington's method—provides a more robust evaluation given the influence of heterogeneity and evidence strength on performance.

Huang, C. J., Pawel, S., Wever, K. E., Ineichen, B. V., Heyard, R.2026-06-26