Integrating Health Impact Assessment with the Policy Process: Lessons and experiences from around the world

Health Impact Assessment is a policy-support instrument and approach that seeks to assess the health impacts of projects, programmes and policies on population health. The ultimate goal of HIA is to systematically predict health impacts and subsequently inform the intersectoral decision- and policy-making processes of these impacts.

Integrating Health Impact Assessment with the Policy Process examines how the process of integrating HIA with policy can take place. Introductory chapters outline the HIA process and provide a conceptual foundation for the book. Then, drawing from experiences of HIA practice and research globally, country specific experiences are presented to examine HIA's relationship with the policy process. Throughout the book checklists and learning points are provided to assist the readers' understanding of the concepts and examples discussed.

This practical and conceptually-grounded guide represents a convergence of theory and practice from the disciplines of public health, environmental health and the social sciences, and will appeal to practitioners and professionals in these fields, as well as policy-makers, decision-makers, planners at regional and national government levels as well as academics, educators and students.

Monica O'Mullane, College Lecturer and Researcher, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Care and Social Work, Trnava University, Slovakia

Monica O'Mullane PhD is a lecturer in the Department of Public Health, Trnava University, Slovakia. Her HIA research interest is focused on the role that the policy sciences can play in understanding and evaluating HIA practice. Monica conducted her doctoral study in University College Cork Ireland investigating HIA use in public policy formulation in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland, by applying a theoretical framework drawing mainly from new institutionalist theories. She has presented at HIA Forums hosted by the Institute of Public Health Ireland and co-founded and coordinated the Southern HIA Network (2008-2010). In 2010 Monica came to Slovakia funded by the Slovak Ministry of Education to investigate the feasibility of HIA in the country. This research has been conducted at a crucial time in HIA's life-span in Slovakia, as a cornerstone for the advancement of the Health in All Policies (HiAP) agenda.