Do Health Impact Assessments Make a Difference? A National Evaluation of HIAs in the United States

Copyright

2014

Sponsored By

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

HIAs provide decision-makers an opportunity to minimize health risks and enhance health benefits, allowing for informed decisions related to agriculture, transportation, housing, education, land use, and energy.

Health impact assessments (HIAs) are evidence-based analyses that predict health benefits and risks of proposed laws, regulations, programs, and projects.

The evaluation study shows that we must screen and choose HIA targets wisely, and outlines how HIAs change decision-making and highlights evidence that HIAs can also lead to stronger cross-sector relationships, amplified community voices, and longer-term changes beyond the initial decision.