Improving community health and equity through HIA: The who, what, when, where, and why of the HIA process

The field of health impact assessment (HIA) is rapidly growing and gaining interest from a range of potential practitioners and users. Given this momentum, there is a need to get HIA constituents on the same page about the HIA process and commitment, reasons to engage in an HIA, and the principles and potential outcomes of the process. HIA is not a one size fits all approach, different types of organizations have a range of capacities and competing interests, and the HIA process can be time and resource intensive. In this context, this presentation will give an overview of the principles and process of HIA, focusing on the connections between land use planning, policy-making, and health; how to select an appropriate topic for an HIA project; identifying intervention points in land use planning, policy-making, and regulatory processes where HIA can be applied; highlighting the importance of collaboration and stakeholder roles in the HIA process; introducing resources for developing the assessment; and potential challenges, solutions, and outcomes of the process. The presentation aims to support public health nurses and their collaborators, such as policymakers, public agencies, and community and advocacy organizations, as they consider whether or not to get involved in conducting an HIA and using the results to make change.