Abstract
The determinants of health are those factors that have the potential to affect health, either positively or negatively, and include a range of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors. In the practice of health impact assessment (HIA), the stage at which the determinants of health are considered for inclusion is during the scoping step. The scoping step is intended to identify how the HIA will be carried out and to set the boundaries (e.g., temporal and geographical) for the assessment. There are several factors that can help to inform the scoping process, many of which are considered in existing HIA tools and guidance; however, a systematic method of prioritizing determinants was found to be lacking. In order to analyze existing HIA scoping tools that are available, a systematic literature review was conducted, including both primary and gray literature. A total of 10 HIA scoping tools met the inclusion/exclusion criteria and were carried forward for comparative analysis. The analysis focused on minimum elements and practice standards of HIA scoping that have been established in the field. The analysis determined that existing approaches lack a clear, systematic method of prioritization of health determinants for inclusion in HIA. This finding led to the development of a Systematic HIA Scoping tool that addressed this gap. The decision matrix tool uses factors, such as impact, public concern, and data availability, to prioritize health determinants. Additionally, the tool allows for identification of data gaps and provides a transparent method for budget allocation and assessment planning. In order to increase efficiency and improve utility, the tool was programed into Microsoft Excel. Future work in the area of HIA methodology development is vital to the ongoing success of the practice and utilization of HIA as a reliable decision-making tool.
Highlights
The determinants of health are those factors that have the potential to affect health, either positively or negatively, and include the range of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors [1]
In order to analyze the existing health impact assessment (HIA) scoping tools that are available, a systematic literature review was conducted in the spirit of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews, which is based on the notion that science is cumulative, and by taking a weight-of-evidence approach, decisions can be made based on the best information available [7]
The results of the literature search culminated in a comparative analysis of existing HIA scoping tools in order to identify the level of transparency and consistency associated with current methodologies, regarding the selection of health determinants for inclusion in HIA
Summary
The determinants of health are those factors that have the potential to affect health, either positively or negatively, and include the range of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors [1] Some of these factors are related to the aspects of biological or genetic makeup that cannot be changed, while others are the result of personal circumstances (i.e., lifestyle choices, employment, income, etc.). The scoping step is intended to identify how the HIA appraisal will be carried out and to set the boundaries (e.g., temporal and geographical) for the assessment [3]. This is typically the first stage where stakeholders are able to provide input into the HIA process. Since scoping is intended to set up a blueprint for the entire HIA, it is a vital part of the process that continues to guide and focus the practice going forward [4, 5]
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