Trust building self-assessment tool for health data policies in the digital age in the WHO European Region

Trust is essential to the successful implementation of policies governing the primary and secondary use of health data and to digital health initiatives more broadly, yet it remains challenging to operationalise. Policy professionals across Europe acknowledge its centrality but perceive it as abstract and therefore difficult to translate into actionable policy measures. This highlights the need for structured guidance to foster trust by the means of policymaking. We developed a self-assessment tool designed to prompt reflection and dialogue on trust during policy formulation, guiding the systematic consideration of trust dimensions and the integration of technical and human-centred trust-building principles within policies. Grounded in conceptual and empirical research on trust in health systems and health data sharing, the tool was refined through 18 stakeholder consultations with digital health policy professionals across the WHO European Region to ensure clarity, usability, and relevance to policymaking. Across three consultation rounds, professionals described the tool as clear, usable, and relevant for digital health policymaking. By breaking down the concept of trust into actionable components and offering a step-by-step approach, the tool supports the integration of trust-building principles into policy. Its reflective design and adaptability to different contexts make it suitable for diverse national policy settings. The self-assessment tool constitutes a first practical step in equipping policy professionals with a hands-on tool to systematically integrate trust into policy. Future research should prioritise impact evaluation and explore the tool’s applicability beyond the health sector.