Each of the social determinants of health are important as they are factors that contribute/ influence the health of an individual. According to the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care’s (MOHLTC) article titled Make No Little Plans (2013), “because of the determinants of health and social inequities, some Ontarians are at higher risk of poor health outcomes – particularly people who are poor, less educated (often because of poverty) and socially marginalized or disadvantaged (“Make No Little Plans, 2013). It can be seen that a main social determinant of health such as Income and social status can lead to other social determinants of health which can create a ripple effect and impact ones health overall .
The MOHLTC indicates that “as strong as our health care sector is, it cannot solve the problems that rob Ontarians of years of life and health. Instead, we must begin long before people become ill and seek health care – with the public health policies, programs and partnerships that help Ontarians protect and promote their health and prevent disease” (“Make No Little Plans, 2013).
The Health Equity Impact Assessment (HEIA) Tool:
Public Health Ontario along with the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care and the Health System Strategy Division, worked together to revise the HEIA tool which originally launched in 2011. HEIA is an evidence-based resource that facilitates improved planning and evaluation of programs and services by the Ministry the local health integration networks, public health units as well as other health service provides to improve health equities amongst the population (Ontario Health Promotion, 2018).
The goal of the MEIA is to:
Help identify unintended potential health equity impacts of decision-making (positive and negative);
Support equity-based improvements in strategy/ policy/ planning/ program/ or device design;
Embed equity across an organization’s existing and prospective decision-making models;
Raise awareness about health equity throughout the organization (Ontario Health Promotion, 2018)
The five key steps of the MEIA are:
Scoping: consider and identify affected populations;
Impact assessment: identify and record the potential unintended impacts of the planned policy, program, decision;
Mitigation: identify and record the best way to reduce the potential negative impact and amplify the positive impacts;
Monitoring: Articulate how success could be measured for each mitigation strategy you have identified;
Dissemination: identify and record how results and recommendations for addressing equity will be shared (Ontario Health Promotion, 2018).
Documents that Guide Ontario:
Ontario Public Health Standard (2008) which acknowledges the importance of addressing health inequities while striving to advance population health. This foundational standard directs the boards of health to: “not only examine the accessibility of their programs and services to address barriers (e.g., physical, geographical, social and economic) but also assess, plan, deliver, manage and evaluate programs to reduce inequities in health while at the same time maximizing the health gain for the whole population” (Ontario Public Health Standard, 2008).
Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion Act (2007) and Ontario Public Health Organizational Standard (2011) which has a mission of protecting and promoting the health of all people in Ontario through the delivery of quality public health programs and services, effective partnerships and a focus on health equity.
Resources:
Ontario Public Health Standard. (2008).
Ontario Health Promotion. (2018).
Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion. (2007).
Ontario Public Health Organizational Standard. (2011).
“Make No Little Plans”. (2013). Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. Retrieved from https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2013/hl/bgrd/backgroundfile-57698.pdf
“Ontario’s Population’s Determinants of Health”. (2014). Public Health Ontario. Retrieved from https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/eRepository/OHP_infog_Population_2014.pdf.
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