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The purpose of this paper is to report on the origins, development and early impacts of a Health Care Home (HCH) model of care being rolled out around New Zealand (NZ).

This paper draws on a literature review on HCHs and related developments in primary health care, background discussions with key players, and a review of significant HCH implementation documents.

The HCH model of care is emerging from the sector itself and is being tailored to local needs and to meet the needs of local practices. A key focus in NZ seems to be on business efficiency and ensuring sustainability of general practice – with the assumption that freeing up general practitioner time for complex patients will mean better care for those populations. HCH models of care differ around the world and NZ needs its own evidence to show the model’s effectiveness in achieving its goals.

It is still early days for the HCH model of care in NZ and the findings in this paper are based on limited evidence. Further evidence is needed to identify the model’s full impact over the next few years.

This paper is one of the first to explore the HCH model of care in NZ.

Much work about health reform and systems improvement in healthcare looks at shortcomings and universal problems facing health systems, but rarely are accomplishments dissected and analyzed internationally. The purpose of this paper is to address this knowledge gap by examining the lessons learned from health system reform and improvement efforts in 60 countries.

In total, 60 low-, middle- and high-income countries provided a case study of successful health reform, which was gathered into a compendium as a recently published book. Here, the extensive source material was re-examined through inductive content analysis to derive broad themes of systems change internationally.

Nine themes were identified: improving policy, coverage and governance; enhancing the quality of care; keeping patients safe; regulating standards and accreditation; organizing care at the macro-level; organizing care at the meso- and micro-level; developing workforces and resources; harnessing technology and IT; and making collaboratives and partnerships work.

These themes provide a model of what constitutes successful systems change across a wide sample of health systems, offering a store of knowledge about how reformers and improvement initiators achieve their goals.

Few comparative international studies of health systems include a sufficiently wide selection of low-, middle- and high-income countries in their analysis. This paper provides a more balanced approach to consider where achievements are being made across healthcare, and what we can do to replicate and spread successful examples of systems change internationally.

Aarhus Kommunes Biblioteker (Teknisk Bibliotek), Ingerslevs Plads 7, Aarhus, Denmark. Representative: V. NEDERGAARD PEDERSEN (Librarian).

The purpose of this study was to co-design a falls prevention education programme with aged care home residents and staff and evaluate its feasibility. The intention of providing the education programme was to assist residents to stay safe and mobile whilst reducing their risk of falling.

A two-phase mixed methods participatory design using a resident (n = 6) and care staff (n = 5) consumer engagement panel, pre- and post-programme resident (n = 35) survey and semi-structured care staff interviews (n = 8) was undertaken in two countries.

A poster, brochure, video and staff education guide featuring 12 safety messages depicting fall prevention behaviours were co-designed. Residents, supported by staff, perceived the falls prevention education programme as enjoyable and informative, but there were no significant differences in capability, opportunity or motivation. However, several residents were observed enacting fall prevention behaviours such as “If I feel unwell, I'll ring the bell” and waiting for staff assistance. Challenges to programme demand, acceptability and implementation which may have impacted residents' exposure and engagement with the programme were identified, along with recommendations to improve feasibility.

When developing falls prevention education programmes partnering with residents and staff, providing choices to meet personal and aesthetic preferences along with frequent, shorter duration learning opportunities are important for translating education messages into actions.

The use of bespoke resources, novel rhymes, positive messages emphasising safety and co-designing with residents themselves was a welcomed point of programme difference.

Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Tenn. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are available through normal trade sources. Mrs. Cheney, being a member of the editorial board of Pierian Press, will not review Pierian Press reference books in this column. Descriptions of Pierian Press reference books will be included elsewhere in this publication.

Books and periodicals on aeronautics: A buying list

In an age of growing skepticism about the development industry and about the appropriateness of the predominant paradigms of modernisation and immutable technology transfer, many scholars and practitioners are now attempting to re‐define approaches to development (e.g. Taylor, 1979; Galtung et al., 1980; Chambers, 1986; World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). Out of this general effort to re‐consider the ways in which social and economic development should be conducted has emerged the notion of participation. In conceptual terms it is now widely agreed that development plans and policies must not only account for the perceptions and opinions of local populations, but that community groups should participate in the underlying processes of consultation and decision‐making. What is much less understood, however, are the mechanisms by which participation is operationalised and institutionalised, and the stresses as well as the advantages which accrue from participatory practices. This is particularly the case in the realm of scientific inquiry where participatory research (PR),(1) has emerged as part of the search to render science more germane to the needs and opinions of local people.

It has often been said that a great part of the strength of Aslib lies in the fact that it brings together those whose experience has been gained in many widely differing fields but who have a common interest in the means by which information may be collected and disseminated to the greatest advantage. Lists of its members have, therefore, a more than ordinary value since they present, in miniature, a cross‐section of institutions and individuals who share this special interest.

National Engineers' Week takes place annually during the week of George Washington's birthday. Washington, best known as a soldier and stateman, was also a surveyor and road builder. The National Society of Professional Engineers began this tradition in 1950 with a two‐page article in The American Engineer. The society promoted Engineers Week on a national level beginning in 1951. February and March issues of The American Engineer in 1951 discussed the early celebrations of this week. The society's history (Robbins) also gives insights about the creation of this special week. Although the National Society of Professional Engineers initiated this week, other engineering organizations became involved later. At the present time, many organizations participate in the celebration. Each year, the National Society of Professional Engineers plans a particular theme for the week.