The policy impact of population health surveys: an illustration of the measurement challenges using the NSW Health Survey

Abstract

In Australia and elsewhere, much funding is invested in population health surveys and the epidemiological monitoring of populations. Yet there is little research about the impact of such surveys on health policy. This article examines the challenges faced in assessing the benefits of health surveys. It draws on an evaluation of the New South Wales (NSW) Health Survey Program. Although it is possible to specify a wide range of potential impacts, the many different uses and levels of benefit of health survey data are difficult to quantify. Simpler surveys of whether and how data are used by policy makers may be the only realistic option.