Health impact assessment: HIA

Abstract

Health impact assessment (HIA) is a combination of procedures, methods and tools used in order to evaluate the potential effects of a policy or project on the health of a population. HIA, therefore, is a multidisciplinary and comprehensive governance tool used by decision-makers in order to build a healthy public policy and reduce health inequalitie According to the moment in which the HIA is conducted, it is possible to identify three main models of HIA: prospective, concurrent and retrospective (before, during and after a policy is implemented). Alternatively, according to costs, resources, methodology and duration, a Mini, Standard or Maxi HIA can be defined. HIA process includes five main steps: screening (determine whether an HIA is valuable and feasible), scoping (define what to do and how to do), appraisal (identify health hazards and consider evidence of impact), reporting (synthesize and communicate findings; develop recommendations) and monitoring (verify whether the HIA has influenced the decision-making process). All stakeholders take part in an HIA process. In terms of effectiveness, it must be evaluated if HIA has contributed to a modification in the pending decision, and in terms of costs, there is no standard cost for conducting one HIA; nevertheless, costs can be estimated by dedicated calculators. HIA encourages public participation in public policy issues and strategic planning and in a socioeconomic context of crisis and limited resources may maximize beneficial effects and minimize any harmful effect on health.