Experiences and needs of licensed health risk assessors conducting health impact assessment in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Objective: The main aim of this study is to discover and analyse the utilization of health impact assessment (HIA) among HIA certificate hold-ers, and to ascertain their opinions on the current situation in the Czech Republic and on the possible future nationwide implementation of health impact assessment. Methods: The target group of the research was identified as holders of professional competence certificates in the field of public health impact assessment. A structured questionnaire was developed. The first part mapped the recent use of HIA in the Czech Republic, the second addressed the issue of linking HIA to regional policies and to the national strategy, the third aimed to gain information about the preparedness of the Czech Republic for the full implementation of HIA, and the last part focused on quality assessment and capacity building for HIA. Results: The results of the survey point to the inconsistencies in the perception of the whole concept of HIA in the Czech Republic by the professional public, and also to a shortage of experts in this area. There is only a narrow circle of experts, especially in the field of health care. It also lacks an informational base, which assist in the unification of processes in this area. As the results of the questionnaire showed, the problems are the lack of interest in the application of the HIA method and, subsequently, the lack of demand. Conclusion: The collected data showed obstacles and gaps in the implementation of the HIA methodology in the Czech Republic. At the same time it has revealed possible ways to change the current situation, based on the opinions of those who practice this methodology in the Czech Republic.