Assessment of Population Health Risks of Policies

Book excerpt: Assessment of Population Health Risks of Policies Gabriel Guliš, Odile Mekel, Balázs Ádám, and Liliana Cori, editors Public health continues to evolve as professionals work not only to prevent disease and promote well-being but also to reduce health disparities and protect the environment. To a greater extent, policy is intimately linked to this process, a reality that is gaining traction in the public health sector. With this understanding in mind, Assessment of Population Health Risks of Policies introduces an international set of guidelines, Risk Assessment from Policies to Impact Dimension (RAPID). In keeping with widely recognized models of public health operations, this innovative methodology factors in social, environmental, and economic health determinants to predict adverse outcomes to populations arising from large-scale policy decisions. Case studies from across the European Union illustrate both the intricacies of risk quantification and other components of assessment and possible relationships between policy and health outcomes. And contributors suggest how international health standards may be implemented despite significant cultural and political differences among nations. Included in the coverage: Public health, policy analysis, risk assessment and impact assessment Risk assessment, impact assessment and evaluation Top-down versus bottom-up policy risk assessment Quantification of health risks Application of RAPID guidance on an international policy Use of policy risk assessment results in political decision making Assessment of Population Health Risks of Policies is an essential and proactive read for researchers and practitioners in impact assessment, public policy, public health, and epidemiology.