Digital Health Information Communication Policies : A Case Study of WHO, OECD, and Thailand
Abstract
In the digital era, the rapid dissemination of health information across online platforms has underscored the critical importance of digital health communication. The prevalence of fake news, misinformation, and inaccurate content and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, led the World Health Organization (WHO) and the organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to recognize the detrimental impact on global health literacy. Consequently, these organizations have formulated policies to promote access to accurate and reliable digital health information. In the context of Thailand, the Ministry of Public Health has accelerated the development of digital health policies and infrastructure in alignment with WHO and OECD frameworks to ensure universal, accurate, and efficient access to health information. Nevertheless, Thailand continues to encounter significant challenges, including the digital divide in technology access and the persistence of misinformation, which potentially compromises public health decision-making. This article aims to analyze the policies governing digital health information communication and perception within the contexts of the WHO, the OECD, and Thailand. It focuses on establishing a robust ecosystem of accurate and credible health information in accordance with international standards to enhance health awareness both globally and nationally
References
กระทรวงสาธารณสุข. (2564). ยุทธศาสตร์ กระทรวงสาธารณสุข 2564-2568. กรุงเทพฯ : ผู้แต่ง.
ประภาพรรณ หิรัญวัชรพฤกษ์. (2569). ตารางที่ 1 จำนวนประเทศสมาชิกของ OECD ในปี 2569 จำแนกตามภูมิภาค. ปรับปรุงจาก The HLS19 consortium of the WHO Action Network M-POHL. (2021). International report on the Methodology, Results, and recommendations of the European Health Literacy Population Survey 2019-2021 (HLS19) of M-POHL. Vienna: Austrian National Public Health Institute. Retrieved January 15, 2026, from https://m-pohl.net/sites/m-pohl.net/files/inline-files/HLS19%20international%20Report.pdf
ประภาพรรณ หิรัญวัชรพฤกษ์. (2569). ตารางที่ 2 เปรียบเทียบนโยบายการสื่อสารสุขภาพดิจิทัลของ WHO, OECD และไทย. มหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏบ้านสมเด็จเจ้าพระยา คณะมนุษยศาสตร์และสังคมศาสตร์ สาขาวิชาบรรณารักษศาสตร์และสารสนเทศศาสตร์.
----------. (2569). ตารางที่ 3 ร้อยละความสำเร็จในการส่งเสริมความรู้ด้านสุขภาพจากผลการสำรวจ HLS19. ปรับปรุงจาก The HLS24 consortium of the WHO Action Network M-POHL. (2024). The M-POHL Health Literacy Population Survey 2024-2026 (HLS24) Retrieved January 15, 2026, from https://m-pohl.net/HLS24
สายชล คล้อยเอี่ยม, วรัญญา สุขวงศ์, ฐิติวัฒน์ แก้วอำดี, อัจฉรา ตันหนึ่ง, รุ่งนภา คำผาง, รักมณี บุตรชน และวิมล โรมา. (2562). รายงานการสำรวจความรอบรู้ด้านสุขภาพของประชาชนไทย อายุ 15 ปีขึ้นไป พ.ศ.2562. นนทบุรี : กระทรวงสาธารณสุข.
สำนักงานสถิติแห่งชาติ. (2565). สรุปผลที่สำคัญการมีการใช้ไอซีทีของผู้สูงอายุ พ.ศ. 2565. กรุงเทพฯ :
ผู้แต่ง.
Aumpanseang, V., Suthiwartnarueput, K., & Pornchaiwiseskul, P. (2022). Determinants affecting the health information sharing management and practice for patient referral in Thailand: The perceptions of patients and healthcare professionals. Electronic Health Record, 19(4), from https://ahisp.ahima.org/Page/determinants-affecting-the- health-information-sharing-management-and-practice-for-patient-referral-in-thailand-the-perceptions-of-patients-and-healthcare-professionals
Brugha, R., Bruen, C., & Tangcharoensathien, V. (2014). Understanding global health policy. In The Handbook of Global Health Policy. Wiley. Retrieved 2025, September 20. https:// doi.org/10.1002/9781118509623.ch1
Kaasch, A. (2011). Global Social Policy in The Field of Health Systems: international Organisations and Their Policy Models. [PhD. Thesis, University of Sheffield].
Kijsanayotin, B., Kasitipradith, N., & Pannarunothai, S. (2010). eHealth in Thailand: The current status. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 160(Pt 1), 376 380. PMID20841712. Retrieved October 16, 2025, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/20841712
Koivusalo, M. (2010). The shaping of global health policy. Socialist Register, 46, 279-294.
Ministry of Public Health. (2017). eHealth Strategy, Ministry of Public Health (2017–2026). Ministry of Public Health. Office of the Permanent Secretary. Information and Communication Technology Center.
O'Hearn, S., & Edmonds, L. (2014). Global health influences internationalization priorities at Canadian universities. Annals of global health. 80, 210-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.aogh.2014.08.133.
OECD. (2021). OECD Report on Public Communication: The Global Context and the Way Forward. Paris: OECD Publishing. from https://doi.org/10.1787/22f8031c-en
----------. (2023). Health at a Glance 2023: OECD Indicators. Paris: OECD Publishing. from https://oecd.org/en/publications/2023/11/health-at-a-glance-2023_e04f8239/full-report/digital-health-at-a-glance_86518984.html
----------. (2025). Health at a glance 2025: OECD Indicators. Paris: OECD Publishing. from https://doi.org/10.1787/8f9e3f98-en
Rattananont, O., & Wongthongdee, S. (2024). The policy implementation of e Health in the Central Chest Institute of Thailand. Journal of Politics and Governance, 14(1), 33 44. https://so03.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jopag/article/view/269392
Ratzan, S. (2011). Web 2.0 and Health Communication. Journal of Health Communication, 16, 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2011.601967.
Sainimnuan S, Preedachitkul R, Petchthai P, Paokantarakorn Y, Siriussawakul A, Srinonprasert V. (2025). Low Prevalence of Adequate eHealth Literacy and Willingness to Use Telemedicine Among Older Adults: Cross-Sectional Study from a Middle-Income Country. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 27 (e65380). https://doi.10.2196/65380
The HLS19 consortium of the WHO Action Network M-POHL. (2021). International report on the Methodology, Results, and recommendations of the European Health Literacy Population Survey 2019-2021 (HLS19) of M-POHL. Vienna: Austrian National Public Health Institute. Retrieved January 15, 2026, from https://m-pohl.net/sites/m-pohl.net/files/inline-files/HLS19%20international%20Report.pdf
The HLS24 consortium of the WHO Action Network M-POHL. (2024). The M-POHL Health Literacy Population Survey 2024-2026 (HLS24) Retrieved January 15, 2026, from https://m-pohl.net/HLS24
World Health Organization. (2021). Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025. Geneva: WHO. From https://who.int/publications/i/item/9789240020924
World Health Organization. (2023). Area 8: Digital health and health information systems (HIS) – Thailand Country Cooperation Strategy 2022 2026 Annex 12. Retrieved October 19, 2025, from https://cdn.who.int/ media/docs/default-source/thailand/country-cooperation-strategy/2022-2026/2021.08.24-annex-12_area-8-digital-health-and-his.pdf?sfvrsn= 550540461
World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe. (2013). Health Literacy: The Solid Facts. Copenhagen: WHO, Regional Office for Europe.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Articles in this journal are copyrighted by the x may be read and used for academic purposes, such as teaching, research, or citation, with proper credit given to the author and the journal.use or modification of the articles is prohibited without permission.
statements expressed in the articles are solely the opinions of the authors.
authors are fully responsible for the content and accuracy of their articles.
other reuse or republication requires permission from the journal."
