Developing the Digital Health Communication Maturity Model: Systematic Review

BackgroundDigital health has become integral to public health care, advancing how services are accessed, delivered, and managed. Health organizations increasingly assess their digital health maturity to leverage these innovations fully. However, existing digital health maturi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Grace Jeonghyun Kim, Kang Namkoong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: JMIR Publications 2025-04-01
Series:Journal of Medical Internet Research
Online Access:https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e68344
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849731560991883264
author Grace Jeonghyun Kim
Kang Namkoong
author_facet Grace Jeonghyun Kim
Kang Namkoong
author_sort Grace Jeonghyun Kim
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundDigital health has become integral to public health care, advancing how services are accessed, delivered, and managed. Health organizations increasingly assess their digital health maturity to leverage these innovations fully. However, existing digital health maturity models (DHMMs) primarily focus on technology and infrastructure, often neglecting critical communication components. ObjectiveThis systematic review addresses gaps in DHMMs by identifying deficiencies in user communication elements and proposing the digital health communication maturity model (DHCMM). The DHCMM integrates critical health communication dimensions such as satisfaction, engagement, personalization, and customization to provide a comprehensive evaluation framework. MethodsWe followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines to conduct a systematic review of studies selected from 3 databases: EBSCO, PubMed, and ProQuest. Studies were screened and included based on their focus on digital health maturity and communication elements, with the final selection limited to English-language research addressing DHMMs. ResultsOf the 1138 initially identified studies, 31 (2.72%) met the inclusion criteria. Current DHMMs heavily emphasize infrastructure while overlooking user engagement and communication; for instance, only 35% (11/31) of the reviewed models incorporated user satisfaction, and less than one-fifth (6/31, 19%) addressed personalization or customization. The DHCMM addresses these gaps with 7 maturity levels, ranging from initial to engaged, and emphasizes user-centered metrics and governance. Quantitative analysis showed substantial variations in communication metrics, with satisfaction metrics incorporated at an average rate of 22% (7/31) across the reviewed models. ConclusionsThe DHCMM shifts the focus of digital health maturity assessments by emphasizing communication and user engagement. This model provides health care organizations with a structured framework to enhance digital health initiatives, leading to better patient outcomes and system-wide efficiencies. The model delivers actionable insights for organizations aiming to achieve advanced digital maturity by addressing underrepresented dimensions. Future research should implement and refine the DHCMM across diverse health care contexts to enhance its effectiveness. The adoption of this model could result in more equitable, user-centered health care systems that integrate technological advancements with human-centered care.
format Article
id doaj-art-df22bf3637ff4bcea650283ea99cc6df
institution DOAJ
issn 1438-8871
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher JMIR Publications
record_format Article
series Journal of Medical Internet Research
spelling doaj-art-df22bf3637ff4bcea650283ea99cc6df2025-08-20T03:08:31ZengJMIR PublicationsJournal of Medical Internet Research1438-88712025-04-0127e6834410.2196/68344Developing the Digital Health Communication Maturity Model: Systematic ReviewGrace Jeonghyun Kimhttps://orcid.org/0009-0007-8000-4341Kang Namkoonghttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2246-6210 BackgroundDigital health has become integral to public health care, advancing how services are accessed, delivered, and managed. Health organizations increasingly assess their digital health maturity to leverage these innovations fully. However, existing digital health maturity models (DHMMs) primarily focus on technology and infrastructure, often neglecting critical communication components. ObjectiveThis systematic review addresses gaps in DHMMs by identifying deficiencies in user communication elements and proposing the digital health communication maturity model (DHCMM). The DHCMM integrates critical health communication dimensions such as satisfaction, engagement, personalization, and customization to provide a comprehensive evaluation framework. MethodsWe followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines to conduct a systematic review of studies selected from 3 databases: EBSCO, PubMed, and ProQuest. Studies were screened and included based on their focus on digital health maturity and communication elements, with the final selection limited to English-language research addressing DHMMs. ResultsOf the 1138 initially identified studies, 31 (2.72%) met the inclusion criteria. Current DHMMs heavily emphasize infrastructure while overlooking user engagement and communication; for instance, only 35% (11/31) of the reviewed models incorporated user satisfaction, and less than one-fifth (6/31, 19%) addressed personalization or customization. The DHCMM addresses these gaps with 7 maturity levels, ranging from initial to engaged, and emphasizes user-centered metrics and governance. Quantitative analysis showed substantial variations in communication metrics, with satisfaction metrics incorporated at an average rate of 22% (7/31) across the reviewed models. ConclusionsThe DHCMM shifts the focus of digital health maturity assessments by emphasizing communication and user engagement. This model provides health care organizations with a structured framework to enhance digital health initiatives, leading to better patient outcomes and system-wide efficiencies. The model delivers actionable insights for organizations aiming to achieve advanced digital maturity by addressing underrepresented dimensions. Future research should implement and refine the DHCMM across diverse health care contexts to enhance its effectiveness. The adoption of this model could result in more equitable, user-centered health care systems that integrate technological advancements with human-centered care.https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e68344
spellingShingle Grace Jeonghyun Kim
Kang Namkoong
Developing the Digital Health Communication Maturity Model: Systematic Review
Journal of Medical Internet Research
title Developing the Digital Health Communication Maturity Model: Systematic Review
title_full Developing the Digital Health Communication Maturity Model: Systematic Review
title_fullStr Developing the Digital Health Communication Maturity Model: Systematic Review
title_full_unstemmed Developing the Digital Health Communication Maturity Model: Systematic Review
title_short Developing the Digital Health Communication Maturity Model: Systematic Review
title_sort developing the digital health communication maturity model systematic review
url https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e68344
work_keys_str_mv AT gracejeonghyunkim developingthedigitalhealthcommunicationmaturitymodelsystematicreview
AT kangnamkoong developingthedigitalhealthcommunicationmaturitymodelsystematicreview