Introduction to Health Impact Assessment

Kimberly Libman (Change lab Solutions)
Nisha Botchwey (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is an internationally recognized policy framework and practice for community and decision-maker engagement that has been used to advance place-based health promotion in the context of local development. HIA can also be a tool for advancing health and equity by identifying how action in ‘non-health sectors’ may influence the opportunities for health within and between populations. HIA is still a developing practice in the US, with limited existing legal frameworks to make their findings binding. The first presentation of this symposium will provide an introduction to HIA. What is the history of HIA’s? When and why are HIA’s conducted? What are the steps in conducting an HIA? How are HIA’s relevant to EDRA? What data are used in HIA’s? What role does theory play in HIA?