Summary of main topics. Information and knowledge from PHR activities must be accessible, intelligible, reliable, timely and attract interest. • It is necessary to identify gaps of the health statistics enterprise, to continue the work on a conceptual frame to describe and analyse the health of populations and its determinants. • Adequate resources (budget, manpower, qualification, information) are a precondition for effective PHR activities, and effective PHR activities are relevant to convince those commissioning them that investments and spending are justified. Scarce resources should be used strategically to prove the value of PHR activities for policy making. • Access to relevant information (e.g. health statistics), information about data sources and methods for those being active in PHR activities and potential user groups have to be optimised. • It is not only important to ensure access to information, but to deliver guidance to cope with an information flood, to inform about the validity of provided information and to support the selection of information and knowledge from different and competing sources. • To provide timely information and information on demand increases the chances of realising a policy impact. Open „policy windows“ are needed and material for a debate should be available when needed. Because it takes time to write a report on a new issue, a knowledge stock to deliver information and knowledge in a short period should be generated. • A newsletter, an attractive design (inclusive “eyecatcher”) and a short presentation of main findings with key messages (policy briefs, summaries, short reports) linked with further information offer opportunities to attract interest. • Often PHR activities provide information and knowledge which are not surprising for public health professionals. But on the one hand information and knowledge might be at least „new“ for some audiences. And on the other hand possibilities to provide „new“ information should not be underestimated: Comparative approaches, local information or more detailed information as well as describing the magnitude of a problem and how people are effected offer a lot of opportunities to create “new” knowledge and attract attention. • Comparative approaches (populations, population groups, time) are of high value to promote the development of understanding, motivate for action and realise a policy impact. Decision makers need to decide if any action should be taken. Therefore it is very helpful to compare...
