A Communitarian Correction for Health Outcomes in New South Wales?

For over a decade, there has been a growing focus on health outcomes in the Australian health care system at a national and state level. Designed to improve population health, health outcomes programs are an attempt to re-orient health services. In Australia, New South Wales (NSW) is probably the most advanced state in implementing a health outcomes approach. What is the role of communities in the model of health outcomes proposed by the NSW Health Department? A theoretical perspective of 'community' is presented, which is then used to analyse major policy documents and publications from the NSW Department of Health that advance a health outcomes approach. The interface between health services and communities is particularly important from the perspective of NSW Health Areas and Districts which must implement programs to improve the health outcomes of the communities in their catchment areas. The contribution to improved health outcomes that is possible by working with communities should not be lost in any re-orientation of health services.