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Sensory modulation intervention involves using calming and grounding sensory stimuli to support coping with distress and intense emotions. Evaluating the impact of sensory modulation is challenging in inpatient settings due to the numerous variables influencing outcomes in ward environments. This study aims to determine the impact of sensory modulation across all organisational levels including service users, staff confidence and attitudes, ward climate and seclusion events.

Organisational case studies were conducted in two Aotearoa New Zealand inpatient mental health services, using qualitative and quantitative data to explore the effects of a sensory modulation programme.

Results showed that sensory modulation enhanced staff knowledge and confidence in fostering therapeutic relationships and reducing restrictive practices, positively impacted ward climate and provided service users with sensory strategies to use in everyday life.

The findings captured the complexity of implementation and impact of sensory modulation programmes at individual, group and organisational levels. It is important to recognise the influencing factors and impact of sensory modulation across all levels of service delivery.

Organisational case study methodology offered a unique approach to evaluating the impact of sensory modulation within inpatient mental health services. Data analysis suggests that in addition to managing acute service user distress, sensory modulation impacts broader staff, team and service level outcomes.

Sensory modulation is an emerging approach that aims to reduce distress and agitation in mental health service users and potentially avoid the necessity for coercive practices such as seclusion and restraint. Despite the growing use of this intervention, there has been limited research exploring the implementation of sensory modulation at an organisational level, both internationally and within the New Zealand context. The purpose of this study is to investigate the implementation of a sensory modulation programme in two New Zealand inpatient mental health services using an exploratory organisational case study design.

Organisational case study design methodology was used to explore the implementation of a sensory modulation programme in two New Zealand acute adult inpatient mental health services. This study explored how key organisational and staff factors (including policies and practices related to de-escalation and seclusion reduction) influence sensory modulation implementation. Cases were described and examined the pattern of findings.

Strategies found to support implementation were identified at environmental, organisational, group and individual staff levels. Aspects highlighted as being particularly important included taking an inter-professional approach in leadership and training, rostering flexibility and leeway in staffing levels to support training attendance and responsiveness to crises.

The facilitators and strategies highlighted in this study may be used to support the design and implementation of future sensory modulation programmes in New Zealand and internationally.

The complexity of factors that influenced the implementation of the sensory modulation approach within an inpatient setting made determining the effectiveness of the approach challenging. However, the general principles and strategies identified in this study offer useful insights for the design and implementation of future sensory modulation programmes.

This paper introduces a new set of equity and rights-based principles for health data governance (HDG) and makes the case for their adoption into global, regional and national policy and practice.

This paper discusses the need for a unified approach to HDG that maximises the value of data for whole populations. It describes the unique process employed to develop a set of HDG principles. The paper highlights lessons learned from the principle development process and proposes steps to incorporate them into data governance policies and practice.

More than 200 individuals from 130 organisations contributed to the development of the HDG principles, which are clustered around three interconnected objectives of protecting people, promoting health value and prioritising equity. The principles build on existing norms and guidelines by bringing a human rights and equity lens to HDG.

The principles offer a strong vision for HDG that reaps the public good benefits of health data whilst safeguarding individual rights. They can be used by governments and other actors as a guide for the equitable collection and use of health data. The inclusive model used to develop the principles can be replicated to strengthen future data governance approaches.

The article describes the first bottom-up effort to develop a set of principles for HDG.

Small farmers, being the primary producers of crops, are the key players in the food supply chain. Yet, they remain the most marginalized in the value chain. The marginalization of small farmers can affect food sustainability. The purpose of this paper is to identify opportunities for bringing more value to small farmers in an agricultural value chain.

This paper makes use of action research, studying the potato value chain, in a developing agricultural country Pakistan. The authors conducted an in-depth study of 37 farmers in four regions, each being a large potato growing ecosystem. The study examined the end-to-end decision-making processes, sources of input (both physical and information), cultivation and sales practices, cost structure, productivity and profitability of the farmers in potato farming.

Large variations exist in the crop yield, cost structure and profitability of farmers within each of and among the four regions due to differences in cultivation practices and approach to sales. There is a significant potential to lower costs, increase yield and enhance overall profitability by using the existing better processes. By addressing the issues faced by small farmers their profits can be potentially doubled. The paper also discusses potential means of recrafting and streamlining the value chain to bring more value to small farmers.

The paper provides a detailed account of how different interventions can increase the value for small farmers. Since the current food supply chain and sustainability are under stress, worldwide, the findings of this study have implications for farmers as well as policy makers.

The literature on streamlining the agricultural value chain and enhancing the share of small farmers is scarce. Improving the value chain and reducing the marginalization of small farmers is an essential step toward increasing food sustainability.