Health in All Policies is an approach to improving health that relies on changes in multiple sectors, according to a report published by the Institute of Medicine titled "Health in All Policies: Improving Health Through Intersectoral Collaboration."
The authors, participants in the IOM Roundtable on Population Health Improvement, presented the experiences of the California Health in All Policies Task Force and the five key elements of a Health in All Policies approach based on these experiences.
1. Health, equity and sustainability. The Health in All Policies philosophy holds that health, equity and sustainability are closely linked. Decreasing health disparities and supporting environmental, social and economic sustainability can enhance health, according to report.
2. Intersectoral collaboration. The basis of the Health in All Policies approach is promoting collaboration among all sectors affecting the social determinants of health.
3. Cobenefits: Benefit multiple partners. To gain buy-in from stakeholders in multiple sectors, leaders need to outline health improvement strategies that will provide stakeholders with benefits in addition to improved population health.
4. Engage stakeholders. Health in All Policies projects need to engage stakeholders such as community members, policy experts and advocates to support the goal of improving health.
5. Create structural or procedural change. Improving population health requires embedding the Health in All Policies philosophy into the structures and processes of government, according to the report.
More Articles on Population Health:
Healthcare Quality Determined More by State Than Socioeconomic Status, Study Finds
Could Hospitals Succeed In Population Health by Acting as "Demanding Brands?"
How Unity Health Implemented an HIE That Improved Population Health