Background New Zealand has had a national injury prevention strategy since 2003. Until last year, annual monitoring of the Strategy has focused upon producing mortality and morbidity indicators and reporting activity rather than outcomes achieved. In a significant advancement, the New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy Secretariat produced a national Injury Prevention Outcomes Report for the first time in 2011.

Aims/Objectives/Purpose The report's objectives were to:

• draw attention to the burden of injury in New Zealand

• highlight success stories in the injury prevention sector

• improve government agency accountability by reporting on long- and mid-term indicators that are expected to affect injury rates

• aid decision-making by Ministers, Chief Executives and government agencies about injury prevention issues, including where attention needs to be focused.

Methods An outcomes reporting framework was designed, using mortality, morbidity and cost data as high-level outcomes indicators, and determining indicators of mid-term outcomes (such as increased awareness or sub-population injury trend data) for particular injury types. The report also included independent expert commentary on where future gains might be made.

Results/Outcomes The report drew the Government's attention to the inconsistent levels of public investment for types of injury with similar burdens. It has also contributed to government agencies focussing on outcomes rather than outputs in their own reporting.

Significance/Contribution to the Field Internationally, the report appears to be unique as it is the only national report that attempts to adopt a high level whole-of-injury prevention approach to monitoring progress on reducing the national burden of injury, using a range of traditional mortality and morbidity indicators as well as ‘action’ indicators. The report has been subjected to an independent evaluation, the results of which have been incorporated into enhancing the next edition of the report.