Digital health information use in Austria, Germany & Switzerland: evidence for the InfoCure project
Abstract
Background: Digital platforms increasingly shape access to health information, raising discussions on quality, transparency, and societal impact of such information. Limited comparative evidence on how different platforms are used and perceived by users exists. Here, we provide user-centred insights into use, topics, and perceived quality of digital health information.
Methods: n summer and autumn 2025, we conducted online surveys in Austria (AT), Germany (DE), and Switzerland (CH) with nationally representative samples of inhabitants ≥15 years. Surveys were in German, and, in CH only, French, and Italian. A total of 6091 participants (AT: 2089, DE: 2002, CH: 2000) completed the questionnaire. Platforms considered were search engines, AI applications, social media, messengers, and health information portals.
Results: 7-88% of participants (AT: 1765, DE: 1743, CH: 1828) indicated using digital health information. Most frequently searched topics were medication, disease, and symptoms with consistent patterns across countries. Regarding sources, participants used search engines most (AT: 99%, DE: 100%, CH: 99%), followed by health information portals (AT: 96%, DE: 92%, CH: 93%), while social media was used least (AT: 59%, DE: 46%, CH: 53%). AI applications were the third frequently used source by that time (AT: 76%, DE: 66%, CH: 78%). Notably, most participants rated its content, however, to be highly comprehensible (AT: 91%, DE: 93%, CH: 94%) and translatable (AT: 83%, DE: 81%, CH: 83%). An overwhelming majority of participants would appreciate a quality control for digital health information (AT: 99%, DE: 99%, CH: 99%).
Conclusions: The use of digital health information is comparable between AT, DE, and CH. Thus, these countries may join forces in assuring quality of digital health information in initiatives such as InfoCure. Further, considering the anticipated steep increase in use of AI, research on its impact on health decisions and health literacy is urgently needed.
Key messages: • 87-88% of the population ≥15 years in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland use digital health information. Use patterns and perceptions on quality assurance are comparable between countries.
• AI applications are the third most frequently consulted platform for digital health information and participants rated the contents as highly comprehensible and translatable.
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BibTeX
@article{kohlbrenner2026digital,
title = {{Digital health information use in Austria, Germany & Switzerland: evidence for the InfoCure project}},
author = {D Kohlbrenner and E Alder and I Münch and S Schmidt-Kaehler and R Griebler and F Saxinger and M Nitsch and E Flaschberger and D Schütze and FG Gille and SM De Gani},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.121},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.121},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Digital health information use in Austria, Germany & Switzerland: evidence for the InfoCure project
AU - D Kohlbrenner
AU - E Alder
AU - I Münch
AU - S Schmidt-Kaehler
AU - R Griebler
AU - F Saxinger
AU - M Nitsch
AU - E Flaschberger
AU - D Schütze
AU - FG Gille
AU - SM De Gani
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.121
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.121
AB - Background: Digital platforms increasingly shape access to health information, raising discussions on quality, transparency, and societal impact of such information. Limited comparative evidence on how different platforms are used and perceived by users exists. Here, we provide user-centred insights into use, topics, and perceived quality of digital health information. Methods: n summer and autumn 2025, we conducted online surveys in Austria (AT), Germany (DE), and Switzerland (CH) with nationally representative samples of inhabitants ≥15 years. Surveys were in German, and, in CH only, French, and Italian. A total of 6091 participants (AT: 2089, DE: 2002, CH: 2000) completed the questionnaire. Platforms considered were search engines, AI applications, social media, messengers, and health information portals. Results: 7-88% of participants (AT: 1765, DE: 1743, CH: 1828) indicated using digital health information. Most frequently searched topics were medication, disease, and symptoms with consistent patterns across countries. Regarding sources, participants used search engines most (AT: 99%, DE: 100%, CH: 99%), followed by health information portals (AT: 96%, DE: 92%, CH: 93%), while social media was used least (AT: 59%, DE: 46%, CH: 53%). AI applications were the third frequently used source by that time (AT: 76%, DE: 66%, CH: 78%). Notably, most participants rated its content, however, to be highly comprehensible (AT: 91%, DE: 93%, CH: 94%) and translatable (AT: 83%, DE: 81%, CH: 83%). An overwhelming majority of participants would appreciate a quality control for digital health information (AT: 99%, DE: 99%, CH: 99%). Conclusions: The use of digital health information is comparable between AT, DE, and CH. Thus, these countries may join forces in assuring quality of digital health information in initiatives such as InfoCure. Further, considering the anticipated steep increase in use of AI, research on its impact on health decisions and health literacy is urgently needed. Key messages: • 87-88% of the population ≥15 years in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland use digital health information. Use patterns and perceptions on quality assurance are comparable between countries. • AI applications are the third most frequently consulted platform for digital health information and participants rated the contents as highly comprehensible and translatable.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -