Abstract
The U.S. spends more per person on medical care than any other country, yet we have worse health indicators than many comparable wealthy nations. Research increasingly shows that social, economic, and environmental factors determine our health; however, there is still an emphasis on curing illnesses rather than addressing these underlying causes of disease. The Health Impact Project is a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, established in 2009 to promote and support the use of health impact assessment (HIA). As of January 2016, there were 386 HIAs either completed or in progress in the US in a variety of sectors—up from 62 HIAs in 2009. Although built environment HIAs still make up the largest sector of practice, other topics are emerging including education, criminal justice, and labor and employment. As the field matures, we are presented with new opportunities and challenges. In this article we offer lessons learned from our experience over the last seven years, and a view into the future of HIA. Specifically, we discuss the challenges and promises of making health a routine consideration in decision-making, translating HIA recommendations into policy, monitoring and evaluating the impact and outcomes associated with HIAs, promoting health considerations in federal decisions, and using HIAs as a tool for promoting health equity.
Highlights
An ever-growing body of research shows that the policies shaping our social, economic, and built environments have a significant impact on Americans’ health
To improve population health outcomes and health equity, data and pragmatic recommendations for protecting and promoting health need to be factored into the public policy process
This paper describes our perspectives on the state of the field, current challenges, and future opportunities in five distinct areas: (1) making health a routine consideration in decision-making; (2) translating health impact assessment (HIA) recommendations into policy; (3) monitoring and evaluating the impact and outcomes associated with HIAs; (4) promoting health considerations in federal decisions; and (5) using HIA to promote health equity
Summary
An ever-growing body of research shows that the policies shaping our social, economic, and built environments have a significant impact on Americans’ health. Our initial goals were to: (1) coordinate and promote efforts to increase the use of HIAs; (2) support up to 15 HIA demonstration projects at the state, local, and tribal levels; (3) develop and manage a training and technical assistance network; (4) complete HIAs of two federal policies that affect health; and (5) conduct and disseminate
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
