One of the most important aspects to be developed in support of Thailand's health system reform is the knowledge base. The Health Systems Research Institute (HSRI) launched an HIA research and development programme to support the reform in 2001. Its first step was the review of HIA experiences in some selected countries, from which HSRI identified two basic platforms of HIA development that are very important for Thailand to consider.
First, HIA can be developed as an additional part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, by focusing more on health as a holistic approach. This approach implies that HIA becomes an approval mechanism under the umbrella of the EIA process, which can be seen in Canada and New Zealand. The scope of HIA application is mainly concentrated at project level.