A comprehensive handbook entitled Digital Public Health – Interdisciplinary Perspectives analyzes the impact of digital technologies on public health. Edited by Prof. Dr. Hajo Zeeb and researchers from Bremen, the work combines perspectives from health, information and social sciences. It was published by Springer Verlag in the Series on Epidemiology and Public Health and is available online free of charge as an open access publication.

Digital technologies such as apps, smartwatches or social media have become an integral part of everyday life and are increasingly shaping public health. They enable the targeted dissemination of health information, close gaps in care and support the early detection of diseases. At the same time, they raise new questions: How can personal data be protected? Which population groups benefit from digital services, and who is excluded? What ethical, legal and social challenges arise from digitalisation?

The handbook contains over 30 contributions by experts from medicine, epidemiology, psychology, philosophy, law and computer science. The contributions shed light on both the potentials and the risks of digital technologies – from the promotion of digital health literacy to ethical dilemmas and practical implementation in health care. It is emphasized that digitization must not be an end in itself, but must be geared to the actual needs of the population. This requires interdisciplinary cooperation, well-thought-out technology development and scientific support.

The work is aimed at researchers, experts in administration, politics and healthcare. It offers insights into topics such as the regulation of digital health applications, the handling of health data and the design of digital prevention strategies. The central finding: Only through the cooperation of different disciplines can digitization strengthen the health of the population in the long term. In order to reach an international audience, the handbook is written in English.

The work was carried out as part of the Leibniz ScienceCampus Digital Public Health Bremen, funded by the Leibniz Association, the Federal State of Bremen and the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology – BIPS. The publication was partially supported by the Leibniz Association’s Publication Fund. BIPS is dedicated to research into health disorders and the development of preventive concepts in order to provide a basis for social decisions and to educate the population about health risks.

Original Paper:

Zeeb H, Maaß L, Schultz T, Haug U, Pigeot I, Schüz B (eds.). Digital Public Health – Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Cham: Springer; 2025. (Springer Series on Epidemiology and Public Health)

Digital Public Health: Interdisciplinary Perspectives | SpringerLink

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

Gender Notice. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple naming and gendered designations are used for better readability. ected.