A Delphi Study on the Integration of Digital Public Health and AI in Public Health Education
L Maaß, J Schmidt, MM Kuhrn, S Peker, N Le Meur, A Malešević, BLH Wong, M Shokralla, M Duplaga, R HrzicAbstract
Background
Digital transformation (DT) reshapes public health practice, governance, and education. Realising the potential of digital tools for surveillance, communication, and population health interventions depends on a workforce equipped with appropriate digital competencies. Existing public health education frameworks only partially address the skills needed to design, implement, and critically assess digital public health (DiPH) approaches, risking slower adoption and persistent structural weaknesses. The study developed a DiPH competency framework to inform public health education and continuing professional development in Europe.
Methods
We conducted a three-round online Delphi study followed by a validation workshop. Experts were recruited based on DiPH expertise and involvement in European public health education. Participants rated the relevance of proposed competencies on a 9-point Likert scale and suggested additional ones; consensus was defined as mean ratings of 1–3 (exclusion) or 7–9 (inclusion).
Results
33 experts participated in the study. Building on ASPHER’s Public Health Core Competence Framework, we developed an initial set of 19 DiPH competencies across multiple public health domains, which were iteratively refined across rounds. The agreed 44 competencies covered content related to digital (health) literacy; health data collection, analysis, management, and governance; ethics and regulation of the digital transformation of health systems; and the spread of information in digital networks. All 12 essential public health functions were addressed, underscoring that the DT is reflected across every public health area. 15 experts joined the validation workshop, shaping the final structure and prioritisation of the consented competencies.
Conclusions
The framework highlights the cross-cutting relevance of digital competencies across public health domains and offers a structured basis for integrating DiPH into education and workforce development.