Risk Assessment Introduction PDF

Risk Assessment Prior to taking action on a specific issue, a risk assessment is necessary to estimate the nature and likelihood of negative health outcomes in individuals. It can be applied to conventional public health issues as well as occupational, environmental, social and be...

Risk Assessment Prior to taking action on a specific issue, a risk assessment is necessary to estimate the nature and likelihood of negative health outcomes in individuals. It can be applied to conventional public health issues as well as occupational, environmental, social and behavioural risks. A four-step process is used.  Risk Assessment Following completion of the risk assessment, response options are identified and a risk management plan developed. Managers with the appropriate level of authority must decide on actions and take steps to implement them. The desired action could be undertaken directly when immediate action is required, for example during a response to an infectious disease outbreak, or through policy and program development processes. Underlying this decision process is the Precautionary Principle, an approach to managing risk that has been developed to address circumstances of scientific uncertainty. It reflects the need to take prudent action without having to wait for completion of scientific research.  Look Back At Canada’s Tainted Blood Scandal Unspeakable: the truth about HIV-tainted blood in Canada - The Lancet Infectious Diseases UK infected blood scandal: what happened in other countries? | Contaminated blood scandal | The Guardian Risk Assessment Hazard identification: Identification of specific health effects or hazards. Information from surveillance and epidemiology activities can be used to identify them. Hazard characterization: Evaluation of the nature of the effects associated with a particular hazard. Qualitative and quantitative research may be used to characterize biological, physical, and chemical hazards. Exposure assessment: Evaluation of the possible effect of the hazard. Risk characterization: Integration of hazard identification, hazard characterization, and exposure assessment into a holistic estimate of adverse effect at the population level Policy Policy is defined as the principles or protocols adopted or proposed by a government, party, business or individual that provide a definitive course or method of action, and guide or determine present or future decisions. Policies are generally not time limited, and provide the supportive environment, framework and anticipated outcomes to focus program activities and enable future decision-making. Policies are usually developed through a flexible, iterative process that encompasses issue identification, policy instrument development, consultation, coordination, decision making, implementation and evaluation. Partner and stakeholder collaboration is required. Policy Within the public health domain, an ongoing challenge is to balance the role of science in policy making, as the evidence base and risk assessment should inform and support policy development, while the policy decision could modify scientific activities. Complicating the process is the inclusion of economic, financial and social policy, and legal and jurisdictional considerations within the decision-making process. It is essential to engage in the process those partners and stakeholders affected by a decision. The goal is to support development of a final approach that will be acceptable to the affected groups. Those engaged in the consultation must be at a level and have the authority necessary to speak for the organization. Policy development As policy development provides the framework and anticipated outcomes for public health activities, programs or interventions are the specific actions that respond to the policy direction. They address health protection, health promotion and emergency response activities. The goal of any intervention is to limit the onset and progression of disease, injury or infection, and may be implemented through collaboration with all levels of government, other government departments, non- governmental organizations, not for-profit organizations, and private sector partners, as appropriate. In addition, all interventions must be evaluated to measure success in terms of the expected outputs (the desired product of the intervention), as well as the desired outcomes (improvement in the health of the population). Effective intervention development requires that those affected by the health issue addressed by the intervention be included in its development and implementation to improve its likelihood of success.  Intervention activities generally address three broad categories of work and are listed below: Health protection activities address the negative influences on health and include interventions as diverse as testing of food and water supplies, environmental testing, and surveillance to identify and track infectious disease outbreaks. These activities rely on surveillance information to direct intervention activities, for example annual influenza vaccination programs, and can provide evidence for epidemiological investigations (food and water testing). Health promotion is the mix of activities that assist individuals and communities in taking charge of their personal health. It assists in developing healthy public policy, healthy environments, and personal resiliency, and “… involves any combination of health education and related organizational, economic, and political interventions designed to facilitate behavioural and environmental changes conducive to health.” Emergency preparedness interventions are those activities that provide the capacity to respond to acute harmful events that range from natural disasters to infectious disease outbreaks and chemical spills. They are founded on four building blocks: Prevention: those activities that reduce the likelihood of an event occurring Preparedness: planning, training and organizing to respond to harmful events and situations Response: the capacity to respond to acute, harmful events Recovery: the processes required to return to a “normal” state of existence