📄 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

The Hospital Murals Evaluation: A mixed-methods evaluation of the impact of murals on patients, healthcare workers, and visitors

This mixed-methods study across four countries demonstrates that hospital murals generally enhance well-being and foster positive experiences for patients and staff, though their effectiveness varies by cultural context and design quality, highlighting the need for culturally attuned artistic interventions in healthcare environments.

Sajnani, N., Foster, M. W., Oshodi, Y., Sodimu, K. A., Kolnik, M., Pokorn, M., Simpson, N., Shaw, T., Willmoth, S., Mari (…)2026-04-13
📄 health systems and quality improvement

No One Left Behind: Adaptive Tablet Modalities for Digitally Excluded Emergency Department Patients Design, Implementation, and Social Evidence for an Impairment-First Interface

This paper presents the design, implementation, and social evidence validation of the ED Adaptive Interface (v5), a lightweight, nurse-configurable tablet system employing "impairment-first" design principles to address digital exclusion and communication barriers for diverse emergency department patients at Nordsjaellands Hospital.

Chowdhury, A., Irtiza, A.2026-04-13
📄 health systems and quality improvement

AI Implementation in Safety Net Healthcare: Understanding Barriers and Strategies

This study identifies key barriers to AI adoption in safety net healthcare organizations—specifically regarding integration, evaluation, communication, training, funding, and governance—and highlights how centralized expertise, structured guidance, and peer learning serve as effective strategies to overcome these challenges.

Thomas, C., Kim, J. Y., Hasan, A., Kpodzro, S., Cortes, J., Day, B., Jensen, S., LHuillier, S., Oden, M. O., Zumbado Seg (…)2026-04-11
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Laboratory capacity assessment in a resource-limited health system, Savannah Region, Ghana; a descriptive cross-sectional study

This descriptive cross-sectional study in Ghana's Savannah Region found that laboratory capacity is moderate overall but significantly stronger in hospitals than in lower-level facilities, with critical gaps identified in biosafety, equipment maintenance, and human and financial resources.

Saeed, F. U., Kubio, C., Kutame, R., Boateng, G.2026-04-11
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Infodemic Management Challenges and Training Needs Among Frontline Health Educators in Lagos State Nigeria

This study reveals that while frontline health educators in Lagos State, Nigeria, possess strong knowledge of health misinformation, they lack sufficient decision-making skills, confidence, and institutional support to effectively manage infodemics, highlighting an urgent need for practical training and systematic rumor monitoring mechanisms.

Erim, A., Lansana, P., Badmus, O., Olanrewaju, M. F.2026-04-11
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Intersectoral collaboration and community voice in a marginalized neighbourhood: A longitudinal social network analysis

This longitudinal social network analysis demonstrates that intersectoral collaboration in a low-SES neighborhood evolves over time to include diverse sectors and empowered citizen voices, though this dual role introduces complexity that requires flexible policies and sufficient time for networks to mature and deliver integrated care.

van Lammeren, R., Schalk, J., van der Pas, S., Bussemaker, J.2026-04-11
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Towards Integrated Digital Health Systems for Nutrition and Food Security in Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Survey

This study identifies critical barriers to interoperability, such as technical capacity gaps and fragmented systems, within Uganda's digital health landscape and proposes a data-driven roadmap centered on workforce development, standardized data formats, and formalized governance to transition from isolated "data islands" to an integrated system supporting nutrition and food security.

Samnani, A. A., Kimbugwe, N., Nduhuura, E., Katarahweire, M., Kanagwa, B., Crowley, K., Tierney, A.2026-04-06
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Structured Error Analysis and Corrective Actions in Clinical Laboratory Practice: An Analysis of 7226 External Quality Assurance Participations

This retrospective study of 7,226 External Quality Assurance participations over four years demonstrates that a clinical laboratory's consistent analysis of deviations, which are predominantly analytical and concentrated in clinical chemistry, enables prompt corrective actions that maintain stable performance and a consistently low error rate.

Strasser, B., Mustafa, S., Holly, M., Grünberger, M., Anita, S.2026-04-04
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Implementation Outcomes of a Web-Based Platform for Reporting and Monitoring Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Activities: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation

A formative mixed-methods evaluation of a web-based Continuous Quality Improvement platform in Jamaica reveals that while the tool is generally accepted and effective for documentation and oversight, its sustained adoption depends on addressing critical barriers such as inconsistent internet connectivity, limited training, and workflow integration within supportive organizational contexts.

Komba, P., Simmonds, G., Dunbar, E. L., Bundy, K., Irving-Mattocks, N., McDowell, M., Ghee, A. E., Puttkammer, N.2026-04-02
📄 health systems and quality improvement

Socioeconomic inequality in maternal healthcare utilisation in Ghana: evidence from concentration index decomposition of the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey

Despite high overall coverage of basic antenatal care in Ghana, significant pro-rich socioeconomic inequalities persist in maternal healthcare utilization, driven primarily by rural residence and educational disparities, which the National Health Insurance Scheme alone fails to eliminate.

Balinia Adda, R.2026-04-02