Bridging Digital Transformation in Public Health with Digital Responsibility

Title data

Neubauer, Maria ; Schick, Doreen ; Schreiter, Melina ; Stark, Jeannette ; Eymann, Torsten ; Schlieter, Hannes:
Bridging Digital Transformation in Public Health with Digital Responsibility.
In: Electronic Markets. Vol. 36 (2026) . - 29.
ISSN 1422-8890
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-025-00868-7

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Abstract in another language

The rapid digitalization of public health systems demands a framework to ensure responsible implementation of digital technologies. The Digital Responsibility (DR) framework by Trier et al. (2023) can serve this purpose but requires further contextualization – an objective pursued in this paper. We apply a content analysis approach to map the DR principles and levels to the Public Health Agency Maturity Model (PHAMM), which is widely used in the German public health service (PHS) to assess digital maturity and derive actions for its advancements. By associating 354 PHAMM criteria with the DR framework, we identified gaps in both models. This process led to introducing two new DR levels (Interorganizational and Intraorganizational) and one additional DR principle (Security). The extended DR framework was then discussed and evaluated in a focus group with nine experts. The findings contextualize DR for the PHS by identifying 16 subthemes that address the sector’s specific needs. Moreover, the study refines Trier et al.’s (2023)DR framework in the context of PHS.