JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The rapid progression and integration of digital technologies into public health have reshaped the global landscape of healthcare delivery and disease prevention. In pursuit of better population health and healthcare accessibility, many countries have integrated digital interventions into their healthcare systems, such as online consultations, electronic health records, and telemedicine. Despite the increasing prevalence and relevance of digital technologies in public health and their varying definitions, there has been a shortage of studies examining whether these technologies align with the established definition and core characteristics of digital public health (DiPH) interventions. Hence, the imperative need for a scoping review emerges to explore the breadth of literature dedicated to this subject.

Objective:

This scoping review aims to outline DiPH interventions from different implementation stages for health promotion, primary to tertiary prevention, including healthcare and disease surveillance and monitoring. Additionally, we aim to map the reported intervention characteristics, including their technical features and non-technical elements.

Methods:

Original studies or reports of DiPH intervention focused on population health were eligible for this review. PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, IEEE Xplore, and the ACM Full-text collection were searched for relevant literature (last updated October 5, 2022). Intervention characteristics of each identified DiPH intervention, such as target groups, level of prevention or healthcare, digital health functions, intervention types, and public health functions, were extracted and used to map DiPH interventions. MAXQDA 2022.7 was used for qualitative data analysis of such interventions' technical functions and non-technical characteristics.

Results:

In total, we identified and screened 15,701 records. Of these, 1,562 full-texts were considered relevant and were assessed for eligibility. Finally, we included 185 references, which reported 179 different DiPH interventions. Our analysis revealed a diverse landscape of interventions, with telemedical services, health apps, and electronic health records as dominant types. These interventions target a wide range of populations and settings, demonstrating their adaptability. The analysis highlighted the multifaceted nature of digital interventions, necessitating precise definitions and standardized terminologies for effective collaboration and evaluation.

Conclusions:

Although this scoping review was able to map characteristics and technical functions among 13 intervention types in DiPH, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence might have been underrepresented in our study. This review underscores the diversity of DiPH interventions among and within intervention groups. Moreover, it highlights the importance of precise terminology for effective planning and evaluation. This review promotes cross-disciplinary collaboration by emphasizing the need for clear definitions, distinct technological functions, and well-defined use cases. It lays the foundation for international benchmarks and comparability within DiPH systems. Further research is needed to map intervention characteristics in this still-evolving field continuously. Clinical Trial: The scoping review protocol has been registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (registration number CRD42021265562).