Preparing the Future Public Health Workforce: A Delphi Study on the Integration of Digital Public Health and Artificial Intelligence in Public Health Education
1
SOCIUM Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
2
Leibniz ScienceCampus Digital Public Health, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
3
Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence Section, European Public Health Association, Utrecht, Netherlands
4
Digital Public Health Taskforce, Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER), Brussels, Belgium
5
Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Department of Health Promotion and e-Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
6
Dep. Digital Health and Data Infrastructures (DiDa), Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG), Vienna, Austria
7
Digital Healthcare Ethics Laboratory (Digit-HeaL), Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
8
École des hautes études en santé publique (EHESP), University of Rennes, Rennes, France
9
Tekirdağ Malkara District Health Directorate, Ministry of Health, Republic of Türkiye, Tekirdağ, Turkey
10
Department of Health Service Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
11
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), Chicago, United States
12
WHO Collaborating Center for Public Health Leadership and Workforce Development, Maastricht, Netherlands
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A909
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Digital transformation is reshaping public health practice, governance, and education. While digital tools offer new opportunities for surveillance, communication, and population health interventions, their effective use depends on a workforce equipped with appropriate digital competencies [1]. Existing public health education frameworks, however, only partially address the skills required to design, implement, and critically assess digital public health (DiPH) approaches. This gap risks slowing the adoption of digital solutions and reinforcing structural weaknesses in public health systems. This study aimed to develop a DiPH competency framework that informs formal public health education and continuing professional development.
METHODS:
We conducted an online Delphi study, followed by a validation workshop. Experts were recruited based on expertise in DiPH and involvement in European public health education. Across three rounds, participants rated the relevance of proposed competencies and suggested additional ones. Consensus was defined as mean ratings of 1–3 (exclusion) and (7–9) on a 9-point Likert scale. A final online workshop was used to validate and refine the framework.
RESULTS:
33 experts participated in the study. Based on the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER)’s Public Health Core-Competence Framework [2], we developed 19 DiPH competencies, an initial set of 19 DiPH competencies spanning multiple public health domains was developed and iteratively refined throughout the study. The agreed competencies related to, amongst others, digital health literacy, digital communication and health promotion, and the use of digital methods. Fifteen experts participated in the validation workshop, contributing to the final structure and prioritization of the competency framework.
CONCLUSIONS:
The resulting framework highlights the cross-cutting relevance of digital competencies across public health domains and provides a structured foundation for integrating DiPH into public health education and workforce development. Ongoing discussion with ASPHER members will support its implementation and further refinement.
Digital transformation is reshaping public health practice, governance, and education. While digital tools offer new opportunities for surveillance, communication, and population health interventions, their effective use depends on a workforce equipped with appropriate digital competencies [1]. Existing public health education frameworks, however, only partially address the skills required to design, implement, and critically assess digital public health (DiPH) approaches. This gap risks slowing the adoption of digital solutions and reinforcing structural weaknesses in public health systems. This study aimed to develop a DiPH competency framework that informs formal public health education and continuing professional development.
METHODS:
We conducted an online Delphi study, followed by a validation workshop. Experts were recruited based on expertise in DiPH and involvement in European public health education. Across three rounds, participants rated the relevance of proposed competencies and suggested additional ones. Consensus was defined as mean ratings of 1–3 (exclusion) and (7–9) on a 9-point Likert scale. A final online workshop was used to validate and refine the framework.
RESULTS:
33 experts participated in the study. Based on the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER)’s Public Health Core-Competence Framework [2], we developed 19 DiPH competencies, an initial set of 19 DiPH competencies spanning multiple public health domains was developed and iteratively refined throughout the study. The agreed competencies related to, amongst others, digital health literacy, digital communication and health promotion, and the use of digital methods. Fifteen experts participated in the validation workshop, contributing to the final structure and prioritization of the competency framework.
CONCLUSIONS:
The resulting framework highlights the cross-cutting relevance of digital competencies across public health domains and provides a structured foundation for integrating DiPH into public health education and workforce development. Ongoing discussion with ASPHER members will support its implementation and further refinement.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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