Quality Criteria and Recommendations for Trustworthy Digital Health Communication: Development of an Integrative Framework Model
Quality Criteria and Recommendations for Trustworthy Digital Health Communication: Development of an Integrative Framework Model

Summary/Abstract: Digital health information has the potential to facilitate access to knowledge and promote health literacy. At the same time, information overload, misinformation and social inequalities are contributing to a growing trust problem. This study aims to identify key quality criteria and formulate recommendations for trustworthy digital health communication based on a systematic literature analysis. The findings show that the main quality dimensions include comprehensibility, evidence-based content, transparency and data protection, accessibility and participation. These criteria can be linked to established theoretical frameworks that explain how individual attitudes, perceived control and structural inequalities influence information behavior. In recent years, the increasing use of artificial intelligence, automated recommendation systems and personalised health technologies has intensified the need for ethical governance, algorithmic transparency and inclusive design. Trust in digital health information is therefore understood as a dynamic relationship between users, technologies and institutions. International initiatives highlight that trustworthy communication must be transparent, inclusive, participatory and accountable. Based on these insights, this article proposes an integrative framework combining psychological, structural and ethical perspectives. Measurable quality indicators are essential for systematic benchmarking and continuous quality assurance. Only through transparent design, participatory development and ethical responsibility can digital health communication achieve lasting credibility and equity.

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