What is the difference between HIA, community health assessment, and health risk assessment?
HIA should be distinguished from other forms of stand-alone assessment or forecasting methodologies, even though these other forms may be used within a HIA. For example, community health assessment is the ongoing process of regular and systematic collection, assembly, analysis, and distribution of information on the health needs of the community. Generally, community health assessments gather statistics on health status as well as data on community health needs/gaps/problems and assets. Within HIA, community health assessments both support policy analysis and development and existing conditions analysis. Health risk assessment, as practiced, is a quantitative analytic method used for characterizing the nature and magnitude of health risks associated with exposures to chemical contaminants and other environmental substances and processes. Health risk assessments are not comprehensive, but health risk assessment conclusions can be used within HIA to forecast effects of specific exposures
