Abstract
In New South Wales, routinely collected information, such as causes of death provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and hospitalisation information collected by the NSW Department of Health, is commonly used to assess and report on the effect of diseases and injuries on the community. These types of information are limited in how they can be used to provide a comprehensive picture of the overall pattern of disease experienced by the population, because of limitations of coverage and ascertainment, among other things. They are particularly limited in providing an adequate description of the substantial cumulative morbidity resulting from common, long-term conditions such as depression, which often do not directly result in hospital treatment or death.
