The Health Inclusivity Index (HII) is a research programme by Economist Impact that assesses the
state of health inclusivity in 40 countries by analysing key data across three domains of indicators. The
Index aims to engage key opinion leaders in its development, facilitate dialogue with policymakers and
healthcare professionals, and spur action on health inclusivity.
This research programme began with the recognition that widespread disparities exist in health
outcomes, both within and between countries, and that addressing these disparities is a complex task
that healthcare systems cannot achieve on their own. The Index includes 37 indicators, within and
outside healthcare systems, that demonstrate the levers that governments can use to address health
inequity and promote inclusion.
This report details the research methods, and the overall strategy, used for each stage of the research
programme, and the rationale behind them.
Please contact the Economist Impact team (Emimichael@economist.com and Alanlovell@economist.
com) if you have suggestions and observations related to the project’s methodology. This is the first
iteration of an (initial) three-year programme. The second and third iteration, which will be developed
in the next two years, will increase the number of countries included in the Index to 60 and 80
respectively, and implement other changes deemed necessary based on any relevant feedback.
The HII research programme involves four stages:
1. Deep learning phase – conducting a pragmatic literature review to identify key definitions
around inclusivity and patient activation, and drivers of health inequities, as well as creating
initial Index framework and specific indicator types.
2. Expert engagement – identifying appropriate experts for the Steering Committee and the
Expert Panel; this is followed by discussing project scope, methods and preliminary findings
from the literature with the experts.
3. In-country intelligence collection – identifying key sources of information, generating and
reviewing justifications for qualitative measures, and gathering data to develop the Index and
support subsequent analysis.
4. Index creation and analysis of findings – building the HII’s workbook, conducting correlation
analysis, and presenting research findings in a white paper, infographics and a dedicated hub.
Details : https://impact.economist.com/projects/health-inclusivity-index/documents/EI-Haleon_Report_Methodology.pdf