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A healthcare unit's effectiveness largely depends on how well its interprofessional teams work together. Unfortunately, the strategies used to improve these teams often lack substance. This study analyzed these strategies and found a performance gap.

This study took a unique mixed-method approach, systematically reviewing both qualitative and quantitative studies that identified strategies to enhance interprofessional teams in healthcare units. To gauge the effectiveness of these strategies, the researcher utilized an Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) in four specialized clinical training centers in Hamadan province, Iran. The analysis of the IPA involved 35 experts from these centers as the statistical population.

Based on a systematic review, there are seven categories: contextual, strategic, communication, organizational, individual, Human Resources Management (HRM), and environmental for promoting interprofessional teams with a total of 36 sub-indicator. Based on the IPA, the HRM aspect shows the most extensive performance gap. The individual and organizational aspects fall under resource wastage, and the environmental aspect is within the indifferent zone. Also, some critical sub-indicators, such as incentives/rewards, roles and responsibilities, financial resources, team-initiated innovation, the culture of respect, partner resources, humility, data availability, set expectations, and team availability, are in the weak areas.

This research has identified critical areas for improvement in promoting teamwork in clinical training centers through a comprehensive gap analysis. It also presents practical policy solutions to address these weak points, providing a clear roadmap for enhancing interprofessional teams in healthcare units.

Improving teamwork in healthcare can be challenging, but it is possible with proper strategies and tools. One of the highlights of the recent study was the combination of systematic review studies with IPA to identify areas for improving interprofessional teamwork in clinical training centers.

Mental health champions (MHCs) and young health ambassadors (YHAs) are two innovative public health interventions. MHCs are practitioners who work in schools and other youth settings and aim to be the “go to” person for mental health in these settings. YHAs are a linked parallel network of young people, who champion mental health and advocate for youth involvement, which was co-produced with young people across all stages of development implementation. This paper aims to identify the potential benefits, barriers and facilitators of these interventions.

Semi-structured qualitative interviews (n = 19) were undertaken with a purposive sample of n = 13 MHCs, and n = 6 YHAs, between June 2021 and March 2022. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, anonymised and then analysed following a thematic approach. Ethical approval was granted by Newcastle University’s Faculty of Medical Sciences Ethics Committee.

The findings are organised under five key themes: motivating factors and rewards for MHCs and YHAs; outcomes for children and young people (CYP) and others; impact on youth settings and culture; facilitators of successful implementation; and implementation challenges and opportunities.

These findings are intended to be of relevance to practice and policy, particularly to those exploring the design, commissioning or implementation of similar novel and low-cost interventions, which aim to improve mental health outcomes for CYP, within the context of youth settings.

The interventions reported on in the present paper are novel and innovative. Little research has previously been undertaken to explore similar approaches, and the individual experiences of those involved in the delivery of these types of interventions.

Since March 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted refugees by compounding preexisting and systemic health, social and economic inequities. In Canada, approximately 50,000 Syrian refugees arrived between 2015 and 2020 and were in the process of rebuilding their lives when the pandemic started. This study aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for Syrian refugees in Canada and identify supports needed.

Drawing on frameworks for refugee psychosocial adaptation and social integration and a qualitative descriptive design, the study used thematic analysis to examine semi-structured interviews with 10 Syrians.

Findings indicated four themes that provide a snapshot of impacts relatively early in the pandemic: facing ongoing development, inequity and insecurity during integration; disruption of settlement, integration and adaptation due to the pandemic; ongoing adaptation and resilience during integration in Canada; and ongoing needs and solutions for integration and adaptation.

This study builds upon growing research concerning Syrian refugees and psychosocial adaptation, particularly during the pandemic. The findings highlight the impacts of the pandemic on a population already facing inequities in a resettlement country. While the findings emphasize the resilience of the Syrian refugee community, the study also demonstrates the need for ongoing supports and justice-oriented action to fulfill resettlement commitments, especially in the face of additional stressors like the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications for policy, practice and future research are discussed.

This study aims to evaluate the delivery of a virtual community-based mental health and substance use program for Filipino drug users during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It used a randomized control longitudinal design with data collected prior to the program and every two months for 10 months. The programs focused on building recovery skills, life skills and family modules. Program length ranged from a brief intervention of three sessions to 24 sessions depending on whether clients were low risk, moderate risk or those arrested for drug use.

Results revealed significant improvements in recovery skills of participants in the treatment group compared to those in the control group. Mental health illness symptoms decreased for both control and treatment groups; however, no differences were found in recovery capital and cravings.

The lack of significant changes in certain variables, such as recovery capital, requires more data to understand the barriers to enable greater recovery. The study was limited to virtual delivery of rehabilitation services conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies may wish to compare modalities of online and onsite delivery to enable a comparison of effectiveness.

Results suggest the feasibility of virtual delivery of mental health and substance use treatment implemented by trained paraprofessionals. However, it also highlights the necessity to build the capacity of service providers and address connectivity challenges.

Stigma and discrimination prevent people who use drugs from seeking treatment. Virtual delivery of mental health and substance use treatment can provide a platform where people can seek help while maintaining some privacy.

The study provides evidence from under-represented populations – persons who use drugs in the Philippines.

The current research elucidates the role of empathy in design of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in healthcare context, through a structured literature review, analysis and synthesis of academic literature published between 1990 and 2024.

This study aims to advance the domain of empathy in AI by adopting theory constructs context method approach using the PRISMA 2020 framework.

The study presents a current state-of-the-art literature to review the connections between empathy and AI and identifying four clusters showing the emerging trajectories in the field of AI and empathy in healthcare setting.

Despite a rise in empirical research, the potential pathways enhancing AI accountability by incorporation of empathy is unclear. The research aims to contribute to the existing literature on AI and empathy in the healthcare sector by carving out four distinct clusters depicting the future research avenues.

Effective teamwork is crucial for patient safety in healthcare. The TeamSTEPPS Teamwork Perceptions Questionnaire (T-TPQ) is a widely used tool for assessing teamwork perceptions. The T-TPQ has been adapted and validated for hospital setting use in several countries. This study aimed to translate and validate the T-TPQ into French for use among Tunisian healthcare professionals, enhancing teamwork assessment and patient safety initiatives.

A rigorous process ensured cultural and linguistic adaptation of the T-TPQ, including back-translation, expert panel review, and pilot testing. 459 healthcare professionals from four hospitals in Kairouan, Tunisia participated. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) compared the original five-factor structure with a revised structure based on exploratory factor analysis (EFA).

Both CFA models demonstrated good fit, with no significant difference between them (∆χ² = 22.51, p = 0.79). The original five-factor structure was retained due to its established theoretical foundation. The French T-TPQ exhibited strong internal consistency (α = 0.9). Two-way Random ICCs indicated fair to good test-retest reliability for all the five dimensions (0.633–0.848).

Several limitations should be acknowledged. The use of a questionnaire as a data collection tool is the source of a reporting bias, for fear of being identified or for reasons of “social desirability”. Nevertheless, this social desirability was minimal, as Baker et al. (2010) took steps to mitigate this during the instrument's development. Additionally, for assessing attitudes and perceptions, self-reported measures are deemed more effective, whereas objective measures are advocated for behavioral assessments. Furthermore, the participants were informed of the absence of good or bad answers, the importance of answering as closely as possible, and the confidentiality. Moreover, considering the data collection period, the COVID- 19 pandemic and its potential impact on recruitment, data collection, and participant responses. Although the sample size of 459 met the recommended criteria for conducting confirmatory factor analysis, as suggested by Bentler and Chou (1987) and (Floyd and Widaman, 1995), the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges in recruitment. The increased workload and stress on healthcare professionals, coupled with staff redeployment and research restrictions within hospitals and care units, likely hindered achieving an even larger sample size. These circumstances also necessitated adjustments to data collection methods to ensure safety and adherence to pandemic protocols. This involved incorporating online surveys option with paper-based questionnaires and implementing stricter hygiene measures during in person data collection. Furthermore, the pandemic impacted the teamwork perceptions as significantly redefined the healthcare environment, placing immense pressure on professionals due to surging patient volumes, staff shortages, and the emotional burden of caring for critically ill individuals. This heightened stress and workload likely influenced teamwork dynamics, potentially fostering both positive adaptations, such as increased cohesion and support, as well as negative consequences like communication breakdowns and decreased morale (Terregino et al., 2023).

We outline significant practical implications for leaders in health care for improving teamwork and patient safety. Or, healthcare leaders can significantly enhance teamwork and patient safety by incorporating the validated French T-TPQ into their improvement strategies. This reliable tool enables the assessment of staff perceptions regarding teamwork strengths and weaknesses, specifically in areas like communication and leadership. By identifying these crucial areas, leaders can implement targeted training programs and interventions. In fact, the existing body of research consistently demonstrates the positive impact of team training interventions, on both teamwork processes and patient outcomes. These interventions have been shown to enhance teamwork skills (Baker et al., 2010; Thomas and Galla, 2013; Weaver et al., 2014). In areas such as communication, leadership, situation monitoring, and mutual support, leading to decreased mortality and morbidity rates (Weaver et al., 2014). Implementing team training programs fosters trust and collaboration around shared goals, contributing to a more effective and safer healthcare environment for both patients and professionals. Additionally, the culturally adapted T-TPQ not only benefits individual healthcare settings but also unlocks opportunities for broader research and collaboration on a global scale. By enabling cross-cultural comparisons and benchmarking, the T-TPQ can deepen our understanding of how teamwork dynamics vary across diverse healthcare environments and cultural contexts. This knowledge is invaluable for tailoring teamwork interventions and training programs to specific populations and settings, ensuring their effectiveness and cultural relevance. Moreover, integrating teamwork training into continuing professional development, interprofessional and medical education initiatives is crucial for cultivating collaborative competencies and building high-performing healthcare teams. Research has shown that interprofessional teamwork experiences significantly enhance collaborative competencies among nursing and medical students, emphasizing the importance of incorporating teamwork training early in healthcare education. This approach equips future healthcare professionals with the necessary skills to navigate complex team environments, ultimately improving patient care quality and mitigating workload issues that contribute to burnout (Simin et al., 2010; Ceylan, 2017; Fox et al., 2018).

The French version of the T-TPQ was semantically equivalent and culturally relevant with adequate test-retest reliability as compared to the English version, expanding its applicability and contributing to understanding teamwork perceptions in this context. The French T-TPQ offers a valuable tool for assessing teamwork, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing interventions to enhance teamwork and patient safety in Tunisia and potentially other French-speaking regions.

In the UK signposting services can be developed as enhanced support for people with health and social care needs or service diversion to help primary and urgent care services manage their workload. This review considers these two conflicting purposes.

The review used a realist approach, initial searches to identify theory; we then selected 22 publications and extracted programme theories, from which we developed questions from three viewpoints: the service user, the front-line service provider and the commissioner. A rich sample of studies were found from purposive searching. To optimise the applicability of synthesis findings predominantly UK studies were included.

Users value signposting service that understand their needs, suggest a range of options and summarise potential actions. People with complex health and social care needs generally require extended time/input from signposting services. Front-line providers require initial and ongoing training, support/supervision, good knowledge of available services/resources and the ability to match users to them and a flexible response. Commissioned signposting services in England are diverse making evaluation difficult.

Meaningful evaluation of signposting services requires greater clarity around roles and service expectations. Signposting services alone fulfil the needs of a small number of users due to the unreconciled tension between efficient (transactional) service provision and effective (relational) service provision. This is underpinned by competing narratives of whether signposting represents diversion of inappropriate demand from primary care and other urgent care services or improved quality of care through a joined-up response encompassing health, social care and community/voluntary services.

This paper aims to deepen the knowledge of consumer wellness by conceptualizing this construct in an everyday retail setting, specifically a health food store. With wellness seeking being a central theme in the positioning strategy of many food retail stores, this study aims to investigate the development of an everyday wellness pursuit in a retail setting, identify its underlying dimensions in a health food store setting and establish the key managerial drivers that nurture it in such context, from the consumer standpoint.

The research design uses a qualitative approach. In-depth interviews with 20 customers of six multibranch health food retailers were carried out.

The findings show the holistic and multidimensional nature of wellness in an everyday consumption setting and highlight the development of physical, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual consumer wellness in this context. They also bring to light how, in an everyday activity such as a health food retail store visit, retailers can co-create and nurture consumer wellness through their product assortment, store environment and employees’ orientation toward customer wellness.

The main contribution of this study lies in the conceptualization of the retail wellnesscape, defined as a retail space that consumers choose to visit in their daily lives that contribute to their holistic wellness journey. This paper emphasizes both the importance and the feasibility of cultivating consumer wellness on an everyday basis, for both consumers and retailers, while it has traditionally been associated with more occasional and out of the ordinary settings such as wellness tourism.