Almost all LHINs have identified the need to map their local population health. Part of this needs to be identifying key barriers to equitable access, those population facing the greatest health disparities and gaps in services.
The Right Tools for the Right Purposes
There is no single ‘magic bullet’ tool that can be used for all purposes. Gender-based analysis is essential for ensuring organizational priorities and program plans take women’s’ needs into account and Health Equity Impact Assessment can effectively build equity into service planning. But neither are designed to drive needs assessments or equity-focused evaluation; different tools are needed for these purposes.
Health Equity Impact Assessment
An HEIA tool and accompanying resources has been developed by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and piloted and implemented in a number of LHINs.
Wellesley has a page with links to workshops, tips and other resources to realize the potential of HEIA for equity-focused planning. These notes provide starting points.