What is health equity impact assessment (HEIA) and when is it used?

• A. HEIA assesses how policies or programs affect health equity across populations and informs design to minimize disparities.
• B. HEIA evaluates clinical outcomes of a program.
• C. HEIA measures patient satisfaction with policy changes.
• D. HEIA analyzes cost-effectiveness only.

Answer: (A)

Health equity impact assessment looks at how a policy or program may affect health disparities across different groups and guides design choices to reduce those disparities. It’s used early in policy development and planning to anticipate equity effects, collect disaggregated data (by income, race/ethnicity, geography, etc.), and involve communities affected by the policy so that the design can be adjusted to avoid widening gaps. This focus on the distribution of effects distinguishes it from simply evaluating clinical outcomes, measuring patient satisfaction, or examining cost-effectiveness in isolation. For example, when shaping a housing policy, HEIA would consider how outcomes might differ across neighborhoods and income groups and propose changes to promote more equitable health benefits.