Development of a quality assurance review framework for health impact assessments

Abstract

The use of health impact assessments (HIAs) has rapidly increased over the last two decades and has been undertaken to evaluate the health implications of many new projects across the globe. In July 2017, Wales became the first country to legislate for broad approach HIAs, i.e. it considers not only environmental health effects but the social determinants of health, wellbeing and inequalities. Although the introduction of statutory HIA will ensure the use of HIAs, experts have expressed concerns that legislative measures could lead to poor-quality HIAs and associated reports. This paper outlines the development process and analytical reflections of a quality assurance (QA) review framework for HIAs. The framework has been developed over a 2-year period which allowed the collective intellectual capital behind it to evolve in response to practice-based learning. A standardised form of QA for all types and levels of HIA will provide greater clarity regarding the required criteria for conducting and completing an HIA and ensuring this takes place in a robust, interdisciplinary and intersectoral manner. Therefore, this QA review framework should fit into existing HIA practice and complement other tools such as best practice guidance to sustain the global reputation of HIA.

Inclusion of Health in Impact Assessment: A Review of Current Practice in Sub-Saharan Africa

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Process, Practice and Progress: A Case Study of the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of Brexit in Wales

“…The evidence, analysis and findings were written up with the SAG given opportunities to review and comment on the draft and final reports. Internally in PHW, it was reviewed by the Board and subject to quality assurance process using the WHIASU Quality Assurance review framework [ 27 ].…”

A Pilot Study to Develop a VR Case Review Instrument for WIOA Performance Measure Data Collection

“…Challenges related to navigating ongoing agency compliance needs, organizational culture shifts, and the quest for continuous quality improvement through program implementation are not unique to VR, but are increasingly relevant, as awareness to adopt evidence-based strategies in our programs develops (Durlak, 2015;Lockett et al, 2018;Nilsen, 2015). A growing body of evidence suggests that development of a framework and consistent use of related tools are key in supporting the advancement of QA efforts within disciplines, including VR (Green et al, 2019;Hurlocker et al, 2020;Lockett et al, 2018).…”