Walking the talk: a mixed-methods study investigating current opportunities for promoting health impact assessment practice

Abstract

ABSTRACT Although Health Impact Assessment (HIA) has been gaining momentum over the past decade, it is still a relatively small field of practice. Here we explore whether possible opportunities to promote the field of HIA can be translated into concrete actions. We pursued an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach. In a first step, HIA practitioners’ ideas were collected across 18 semi-structured interviews. Building on these insights, a survey questionnaire was developed in a second step, and answers from 25 HIA practitioners were collected in a last step. We found that delivering awareness on HIA creates the most important opportunities. To exploit these opportunities, high potential was recognized in the strengths of HIA practice, namely in broader stakeholder engagement and showcasing HIA’s evidence-based approach. HIA practitioners are best positioned to initiate actions that promote their practice, but they also depend on various influential actors such as governments and the World Health Organization (WHO). Developing an open exchange platform allowing all HIA stakeholders to connect seems an urgent strategy to pursue for strengthening HIA’s popularity, appeal, and reach.