Abstract:
The New Zealand Health Monitor (NZHM) is an integrated programme of surveys and cohort studies. It is a population-based, outcomes-focused information system which has the capacity to address gaps in health information. Together, the two information systems (WAVE and the NZHM) can potentially provide a complete picture of health and health services, and so enable a managed health system at all levels - local, regional and national. The NZHM is informed by the principles of the New Zealand Health Strategy (Minister of Health 2000) and aims to guide actions intended to realise the goals set out in the Strategy. The NZHM monitors the health status of the population and the main groups within the population, with a particular focus on the personal and social determinants of health, including access to and utilisation of health services, and can therefore contribute to the evaluation of health policy, programmes and services.
