Same term, but unequal understanding: differences in digital public health intervention features

Abstract Digital technologies have transformed healthcare delivery and public health, with many countries integrating interventions such as online consultations, electronic health records, and telemedicine to improve population health and healthcare accessibility. Multinational assessments for benchmarking system maturity ask for the degree of implementation of such tools. However, are these interventions as comparable as they claim to be? This talk presents a qualitative analysis of 179 digital public health (DiPH) interventions described in scientific articles. We categorized interventions based on their implementation stages, public health functions, and reported and non-technical features. Telemedicine, health apps, and electronic health record interventions dominated the diverse landscape. While these technology groups already differed greatly in their functions, we identified equally significant differences in the reported intervention characteristics within the groups. For example, telemedicine was not only used in healthcare settings for patients and health professionals but also in primary prevention and research for researchers, policymakers, and healthy individuals. Different interventions reported varying functions, such as remote monitoring, self-monitoring, alarm systems, patient motivation, and user empowerment modules. So, is there one common telemedical intervention? No. Instead, all individual technologies differed to varying degrees. The analysis underscored the diversity of DiPH interventions among and within intervention groups and highlighted the importance of precise terminology for effective planning and evaluation. Instead of using broad classifications like ‘telemedicine,’ interventions should be defined and communicated based on specific technological functions, non-technical characteristics, use cases, and user groups. This approach will promote cross-disciplinary collaboration and foster international comparability across DiPH systems.