A competency framework for digital public health in Europe: an updated scoping review

Abstract Digital public health (DiPH) integrates digital technologies into public health, extending beyond digitization to transform operational models and culture. However, DiPH lacks a unified definition and remains underrepresented in education. This scoping review aims to update prior research, compare frameworks, and identify DiPH competencies. It contributes to shaping education strategies for a digitally competent public health workforce. Following PRISMA-ScR, Medline via Ovid, Embase, Web of Science, and ERIC were searched using terms for public health, DiPH, training, and practice competencies. A synthesis process compared frameworks, refined and structured their competencies, and mapped additional competencies from included studies. The search yielded 994 records after deduplication, of which 13 were included in data analysis. These studies contributed 222 competencies, which were assessed, refined, and organized into three domains: Health Data, Digital Public Health Services and Functions, and Analytics and Artificial Intelligence competencies. The final framework includes 19 competencies. The framework refines frameworks in public health and medical education by specifically focusing on DiPH competencies and a population-level perspective. The study underscores the growing research interest in digital health and DiPH, yet highlights limited evidence, especially from Europe. It calls for ongoing prioritization of core competencies to guide curriculum integration across national contexts.