An investigation into the use of the temporal scan statistic as a monitoring tool for health impact assessment

Abstract

Health impact assessment (HIA) is an important methodological development within public health. Its purpose is to ensure that health is considered as a part of all government proposals and policies. While there has been substantial development of the HIA methodology with in the last 10 years, the issues associated with monitoring health events at the end stage of an HIA have not received appropriate attention. This aspect of HIA is vital to the success of HIA as it ensures that any negative impact on health is detected as soon as possible after the implementation of a programme or policy.