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A health impact assessment (HIA) is one of the tools used to support a Health in All Policies approach. HIA is a structured process that brings together scientific data, public health expertise, and stakeholder input to identify the potential health effects of a proposed policy, plan, program, or project. Based on an objective and thorough analysis of potential effects, an HIA offers practical recommendations for ways to minimize risks and capitalize on opportunities to improve health.
HIA typically follows a six step process outlined below:
| HIA STEP | PURPOSE |
| 1. Screening | To determine whether an HIA is needed, feasible, and likely to be useful |
| 2. Scoping | To determine the important health effects, affected populations, available evidence, and roles of stakeholders |
| 3. Assessment | To analyze baseline conditions and likely health effects |
| 4. Recommendations | To develop feasible, evidence-based recommendations and a plan for implementing them |
| 5. Reporting | To disseminate findings to decision makers, affected communities, and other stakeholders |
| 6. Monitoring / Evaluation | To monitor the results of the HIA and evaluate it in respect to process, impact, and outcomes |
This Jargon Buster was contributed by the Georgia Health Policy Center.
