Abstract:

This discussion paper introduces the NSW Health Department's first comprehensive strategy for population health surveillance in NSW. It describes the context for population health surveillance and its current status. It outlines priorities for improving population health surveillance in NSW. Local area health services in NSW are increasing, focussing their attention on population health as they assume responsibility for the health of geographically defined populations. Monitoring of population health will include performance agreement indicators and Health Outcome Performance Indicators (HOPIS). The NSW health survey program has been launched using computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) in an annual population survey.