Health Impact Assessment Report: Examining Health Integration Benefits

This report presents a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) that examines the integration of public health and primary care. It explores the potential benefits of integrated health systems, including improved service quality, efficiency, and cost savings. The assessment highlights the positive impacts on vulnerable groups, such as those with chronic diseases and expectant mothers. The report emphasizes the importance of collaboration and communication within healthcare settings to enhance patient care and outcomes. It also discusses the role of health information technology, public health law and other factors in supporting and promoting integration. The report is based on research and stakeholder views, providing a comprehensive overview of the benefits of health integration. The assessment was done after considering the public views and the positive effects of integration on individual's well-being and health.

Health Impact assessment_ Scoping Report
Introduction
Even though developing an integrated health care system can be exceedingly expensive,
several physicians groups and healthcare facilities have discovered that the integrated health
systems can aid in reaping significant benefits. According to Blanford, Kumar, Luo, and
MacEachren (2012 p. 24), the benefits may include better quality of service, efficiency in
service delivery, much secure practitioner income as well as increased market share. The purpose
of this report is to elucidate the significance of integration of health into all policies at regional,
community as well as stakeholder levels. It assesses the potential health impacts or effects health
integration to the members of the society. The outlining or profiling encompasses gathering as
well as analyzing secondary data on an array of indicators associated with the context of this
precise proposal. In the same vein, the profiling involves the probable effects of the proposal on
health determinants as well as health. It outlines how the society is likely to benefit from health
integration.
In recognition of the health integration potential, a committee of experts was convened to
evaluate the integration of public health and primary care. The ten-member committee comprises
experts in local public health, state public health, and primary public health (Singer, Burgers,
Friedberg, Rosenthal, Leape, and Schneider 2011 p. 123). The team recognized that mental
health is one of the inextricable segments of primary care. The committee identified the best
instances of effective primary care and public health integration and some of the factors which
sustain and promote the efforts such as healthcare policy, health information technology, and
public health law. Whereas integration of public health and primary health may be a wooly term,

the report defined integration as the linkage of activities and programs to promote and stimulate
overall effectiveness and efficiency and attain benefits in the populace health.
Screening
The proposal has numerous potential impacts or effects on the vulnerable groups and the
local populace. The integrated health can significantly aid in reducing negative health outcomes,
save lives, promote efficiency, and facilitate quality care as well save cost (World Health
Organization, 2015). Many of the medical practitioners believe that integration have to
eventually encompass the treatment of the entire society and entail the whole continuum of
overall health as well a mental health. Harris and Spickett (2011 p. 427), advocate that
integration helps in promoting behavioral health. Integration helps the members of the society to
achieve better health care outcomes at lower costs. The community views were also positive in
regards to health integration, for example, they considered health integration to help in
improving the quality of services as well increase service delivery. According to Winkler et al.
(2013 p. 3020, positive view in regards to health impact assessment calls for the implementation
of the proposal.
Many people more so women greatly appreciated the role of integration in regards to
service delivery especially during childbearing. They advocated that collaboration, cooperation,
and effective communication in the healthcare help in providing better services to the patients.
Individuals also contended that integration would increase the quality of service provided by
healthcare facilities and help in saving lives (Horwitz and Finlayson, 2011 p. 679). In regards to
the positive views of the public the health impact assessment (HIA) on the importance of
integration was agreed to be undertaken. Notably, this decision was reached after considering the

public views of different individuals especially the local members of the society. The proposal
was considered to have positive effects on individuals’ well-being and health. Some of the
vulnerable groups which would likely to be positively affected the proposal include individuals
suffering from critical or chronic diseases such as cancer and expectant women. Notably, this
was prospective Health Impact Assessment since it involved studying the effects of a proposed
project.