Experts' opinion on sustainable use of digital health tools for effective future pandemic preparedness and response: Questionnaire study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the potential role of digital health tools in enhancing pandemic preparedness and response. These tools became essential, supporting not only healthcare delivery but also decision-making, communication, case identification, contact tracing, surveillance, vaccination rollout, and intervention evaluation. The interest in applying digital health tools towards pandemic preparedness and response motivated conversations about digital epidemiology. A field of study that aims to provide insight into health and disease determinants by leveraging diverse digital data sources. In a globalized world, effective preparedness and response to pandemics require a coordinated global action. OBJECTIVE This study investigates expert opinions on strategies for improving global health security through the effective use of digital epidemiology, considering the current landscape of digital determinants of health. METHODS Epidemiologists, public health specialists, data scientists, and professionals with expertise in various components of digital health were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling methods. Expert opinions were elicited using an electronic questionnaire developed by the authors in REDCap. To ensure a global perspective, participants were recruited from Africa, North America, Oceania, and Europe. Thematic analysis and the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis framework were used to analyze participants’ responses. RESULTS Most participants were familiar with the concept of digital epidemiology and expressed positive sentiments about its potential in strengthening global health security. Privacy and security, along with ethical and legal considerations, were ranked by most experts as high priority areas that decision makers and implementers must consider ensuring sustainable integration of digital epidemiology tools in future pandemic preparedness and response. A SWOT analysis of participants’ views on the promise of digital epidemiology, revealed fewer strengths and more weaknesses compared to other components of the analysis framework. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the growing recognition of digital epidemiology as a critical tool for enhancing global health security, particularly using non-traditional data sources and emerging technologies including artificial intelligence. The study affirms the need for a globally coordinated approach to governance, regulation, and investment in digital health infrastructure to ensure the responsible and effective application of digital innovations in epidemiological practice.