As a consequence of globalisation, the marketing of places has grown in importance as countries, regions and individual destinations compete with one another to attract investment and visitors. In order to compete effectively, it is essential to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) and ensure these are incorporated into one's strategic planning. An extensive review of the literature covering place and destination marketing indicates that image and identity play an important role in differentiating between objectively similar alternatives. Accordingly, the branding of destinations has become of major importance and is analysed in depth. Thirty-three factors are identified, clustered into four categories, that may be considered CSFs to be taken into account when developing tourism strategies and plans.

Background Prior to COVID-19, postnatal resettled refugee women in Canada reported barriers to healthcare and low levels of social support, contributing to maternal health morbidities. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to be further exacerbating health inequities for marginalized populations. The experiences of resettled refugee women are not fully known. Aim To understand Syrian refugee women’s experiences accessing postnatal healthcare services and supports during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Semi-structured, virtual interviews were conducted with eight resettled Syrian refugee women living in Nova Scotia (Canada) who were postnatal between March and August 2020. Data analysis was informed by constructivist grounded theory. Findings Three themes emerged: “the impacts of COVID-19 on postnatal healthcare;” “loss of informal support;” and “grief and anxiety.” Women experienced difficult healthcare interactions, including socially and physically isolated deliveries, challenges accessing in-person interpreters, and cancelled or unavailable in-home services (e.g., public health nurse and doula visits). Increased childcare responsibilities and limited informal supports due to pandemic restrictions left women feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Stay-at-home orders resulted in some women reporting feelings of isolation and loss, as they were unable to share in person postnatal moments with friends and family, ultimately impacting their mental wellness. Conclusions COVID-19 and associated public health restrictions had significant impacts on postnatal Syrian refugee women. Data presented in this study demonstrated the ways in which the pandemic environment and related restrictions amplified pre-existing barriers to care and postnatal health inequalities for resettled refugee women—particularly a lack of postnatal informal supports and systemic barriers to care.

Children with an autism spectrum disorder (autism) are vulnerable to negative experiences within the surgical setting. This qualitative study used Interpretive Description. Individual interviews were conducted with 8 parents of children with autism who had recently undergone surgery, and 15 healthcare providers (HCPs) with experience caring for children with autism. Participants were asked open-ended questions on the approaches used to support children with autism around the time of surgery and their effectiveness, how the surgical experience could be improved, and the barriers and facilitators to potential improvements. Results yielded three main themes within an overarching metaphor of a balancing act. The first theme, finding your footing through an uncertain journey, described individual factors (e.g. anticipatory anxiety) that set the foundation for surgery-related experiences. The second theme, relationships can help to keep everyone steady, highlighted how interpersonal dynamics (e.g. collaboration and empathy) influence the experience. Finally, the systems shape the experience theme captured the impact of systemic factors (e.g. the hospital environment) on the balancing act. These findings enriched our understanding of how individual, interpersonal, and systemic factors influence the surgical experiences of children with autism, families, and HCPs. Insights gained from this study can be used to inform future interventions. Lay abstract Children with an autism spectrum disorder (autism) often have negative experiences within the surgical setting. We conducted individual interviews with 8 parents of children with autism who had recently undergone surgery, and 15 healthcare providers (HCPs) with experience caring for children with autism. We asked open-ended questions on the approaches used to support children with autism around the time of surgery, how effective they were, suggestions for improvement, and the barriers and facilitators to improvement. Three main themes emerged within an overarching metaphor of a balancing act. The first theme, finding your footing through an uncertain journey, described individual factors (e.g. anticipatory anxiety) that set the foundation for experiences. The second theme, relationships can help to keep everyone steady, highlighted how personal interactions (e.g. collaboration and empathy) influence the experience. Finally, the systems shape the experience theme captured how systemic factors (e.g. the hospital environment) affected the balancing act. These findings enriched our understanding of the surgical experiences of children with autism, families, and HCPs by demonstrating the importance of individual characteristics, relationships, and systemic factors. Future interventions should consider this complexity and intervene not just with children, but also their parents, healthcare providers, and in policy to improve experiences.

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The purpose of this review is to describe how health service and delivery systems support health equity, and to identify strategies and indicators being used to measure health equity. Introduction:It is widely acknowledged that a population health and equity approach is needed to improve the overall health of the population. The health service and delivery system plays an important role in this approach. Despite this, system transformation to address health inequities has been slow. This is due, in part, to the lack of evidence-based guidance on how health service and delivery systems can address and measure health equity integration. Most studies focus on health equity integration in the public health sector at a provincial or national level, but less is known about integration within the health service and delivery system. More information is needed to understand how that transformation is occurring, or could occur, to make a meaningful contribution toward improving population health outcomes.Inclusion criteria: This scoping review will identify studies that describe the strategies and indicators that health service and delivery systems are using to integrate health equity and how progress is measured. Evidence from qualitative, quantitative, mixed method studies, and gray literature will be included.Methods: This review will be conducted in accordance with JBI methodology for scoping reviews. A comprehensive search strategy, developed with a librarian scientist, will be used to identify relevant sources. Titles, abstracts, and full texts will be evaluated against inclusion criteria. Information will be extracted by two independent reviewers. Data will be synthesized and presented narratively, with tables and figures where appropriate.

Aims To explore nurse practitioners' experiences of medication abortion implementation in Canada and to identify ways to further support the implementation of medication abortion by nurse practitioners in Canada. Design A qualitative approach informed by feminist theory and integrated knowledge translation. Methods Qualitative interviews with stakeholders and nurse practitioners between January 2020 and May 2021. Data were analysed using critical feminist theory. Results Participants included 20 stakeholders, 16 nurse practitioner abortion providers, and seven nurse practitioners who did not provide abortions. We found that nurse practitioners conduct educational, communication and networking activities in the implementation of medication abortion in their communities. Nurse practitioners navigated resistance to abortion care in the health system from employers, colleagues and funders. Participants valued making abortion care more accessible to their patients and indicated that normalizing medication abortion in primary care was important to them. Conclusion When trained in abortion care and supported by employers, nurse practitioners are leaders of abortion care in their communities and want to provide accessible, inclusive services to their patients. We recommend nursing curricula integrate abortion services in education, and that policymakers and health administrators partner with nurses, physicians, midwives, social workers and pharmacists, for comprehensive provincial/territorial sexual and reproductive health strategies for primary care. Impact The findings from this study may inform future policy, health administration and curriculum decisions related to reproductive health, and raise awareness about the crucial role of nurse practitioners in abortion care and contributions to reproductive health equity. Patient or Public Contribution This study focused on provider experiences. In‐kind support was provided by Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights, an organization that provides direct support and resources to the public and is committed to advocating on behalf of patients and the public seeking sexual and reproductive health services.

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Background: Prior to COVID-19, postnatal resettled refugee women in Canada reported barriers to healthcare and low levels of social support, contributing to maternal health morbidities. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to be further exacerbating health inequities for marginalized populations—yet the experiences of resettled refugee women are not fully known. Aim: To understand Syrian refugee women’s experiences accessing postnatal healthcare services and supports during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with eight resettled Syrian refugee women living in Nova Scotia (Canada) who were postnatal between March and August 2020. Data analysis was informed by constructivist grounded theory. Findings: Three themes emerged: “the impacts of COVID-19 on postnatal healthcare;” “loss of informal support;” and “grief and anxiety.” Women experienced difficult healthcare interactions, including socially and physically isolated deliveries, challenges accessing in-person interpreters, and cancelled or unavailable in-home services (e.g., public health nurse and doula visits). Increased childcare responsibilities and limited informal supports due to pandemic restrictions left women feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Stay-at-home orders resulted in some women reporting feelings of isolation and loss, as they were unable to share in person postnatal moments with friends and family, ultimately impacting their mental wellness. Conclusions: COVID-19 and associated public health restrictions had significant impacts on postnatal Syrian refugee women. Data presented in this study demonstrated the ways in which the pandemic environment and related restrictions amplified pre-existing barriers to care and postnatal health inequalities for resettled refugee women—particularly a lack of postnatal informal supports and systemic barriers to care.