Strategy for Planning and Evaluating Health Risk Appraisal and Screening Interventions

Abstract

Health risk appraisal (HRA) has become a familiar component of comprehensive health promotion programs in a variety of settings. Originally intended to facilitate physician-patient communication, HRA has evolved to sophisticated computer programs capable of providing users with quantitative risk profiles based on epidemiologic data. Proponents of the technology suggest HRAs increase users' awareness of the link between lifestyle and disease. Selected physical measurements are typically added to enhance HRA validity resulting in the generation of personalized messages making relevant health information more salient to the individual. While HRA may be a formidable teaching tool, numerous authors have cited distinct limitations in its use. The objective evaluation of HRA's effects and the ethical use of its calculated results requires a comprehensive plan designed to maximize the benefits of the technique while mitigating potentially undesirable side effects. How results generated by HRA will be communicated to clients, and how individuals will respond to personalized risk estimates are certainly questions worthy of the interest and expertise of the health promotion specialist of the 21st century. This article proposes a model for implementing health promotion interventions which utilize HRA as a principal component.