Kansas Health Institute

A new video and issue brief feature two Kansas policymakers, Janet Miller, Wichita City Council member, and Rep. John Wilson, Lawrence, who share their perspectives on health impact assessment (HIA) to demonstrate the value of the tool for other policymakers and to inform HIA practitioners about how to identify and support emerging HIA champions.

Health impact assessment (HIA) is a practical tool intended to inform policymakers—during the decision-making process—of potential positive and negative health effects of proposed laws, programs, policies or regulations.

Within the United States, the number of HIAs has increased over the last seven years—from 27 in 2007 to 319 in 2014—according to the Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Most of these studies have been conducted at the local level by government agencies. However, educational and nonprofit institutions have also conducted HIAs to inform decisions at varying levels (local,county, regional, state and federal).

To date, the Kansas Health Institute has conducted five HIAs—four at the state level and one at the local level.