National Health Survey 2003-2004 on physical and mental health

The National Health Survey is a cross-sectional study initiated by the Ministry of Health as part of the World Mental Health 2000 Survey of the World Health Organization. The survey is being conducted in collaboration with the Central Bureau of Statistics, which is responsible for the field work and is supported by the National Insurance Institute of Israel and the Israel National Institute for Health Policy and Health Services Research. For the first time in Israel, national data will be collected on: (a) prevalence of mental disorders; (b)prevalence of impairments and disabilities; (c) associations between chronic conditions and mental disorders; (d) associations between socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, mental health, physical health, disability, use of health services and out-of-pocket medical expenditure. The survey will provide the much-needed database for the proposed national reform of mental health services. This article describes the main innovations in the national health survey.