Data Blind Spots

Known gaps in NZ public health data that limit what this dashboard can show.

These are not analytical limitations — they are structural absences in the data itself.

Summary

What This Means for Interpretation

Every metric on this dashboard has a denominator — a population that was measured. The people not measured are often those with the highest need. Before citing figures from this dashboard:

1. Check whether the indicator covers the population you care about
2. Note sample suppression — small-n cells are hidden, often in rural and minority communities
3. Treat Māori/Pacific subgroup analyses as underestimates of true disparity
4. Do not use projections to justify reducing services in areas that appear to have low demand — low measured demand in deprived areas frequently reflects access barriers, not low need

Blind spots are identified by reviewing each data source's methodology notes and known limitations. This list is not exhaustive.