Portrait

After completing a dual Bachelor's degree in Health Management (2016) and a Master's degree in Public Health at Hannover Medical School (2019), Jacqueline Posselt has been a scholarship holder in the doctoral program "Chronic Diseases and Health Literacy" (ChEG) since April 2020. Previously, she worked in various functions, including strategy and digitalization in statutory health insurance.

Topic of the doctorate

Digital health applications and digital health literacy in primary care

Background

Digital health applications (DiGA) are low-risk medical devices whose main function is based on digital technologies. These applications aim to strengthen the self-management of patients with chronic diseases, support treatment pathways or bridge waiting times for therapeutic or specialist care. In Germany, care for people with mental illnesses in particular is characterized by long waiting times for a treatment place, so DiGAs offer the opportunity to reduce the gaps in care for patients with depression by providing bridging services. Although no meaningful data is currently available, it is becoming apparent that the prescription and utilization of the services is rather restrained. DiGA is a complex and interactive intervention that requires users to have both health and digital literacy. Digital health literacy refers to people's individual ability to use digital media and services and to be able to search, find and evaluate online health information in order to make appropriate health decisions. It is currently unknown to what extent the assessment of digital health literacy by primary care providers influences prescription behavior and how well the patients themselves feel able to deal with DiGA.

Aim

The aims of the PhD project are to determine the role of primary care providers' assessment of digital health literacy in recommending and prescribing DiGA and how empowered patients feel to use DiGA. Finally, building on this, it will be explored how the perspectives of primary care providers and patients interact in care situations.

Method

The research questions will be answered using a qualitative study design in order to explore the individual attitudes and experiences of primary care providers and patients in their complexity in a subject-oriented manner. In the research project, two interrelated qualitative survey studies will be conducted using partially standardized interview guidelines. The first study captures the perspective of primary care practitioners, the second study the perspective of patients with depressive disorders.

Publications

Journal articles

Schmetsdorf J, Krüger K, Posselt J, Runde W, Zechel H-G, Kohlmann T, Krauth C (2025). Evaluating relapse prophylaxis in addition to interdisciplinary multimodal pain therapy for back pain: A randomized controlled trial. J Rehabil Med 57, 2025. doi.org/10.2340/jrm.v57.42088

Oppermann L, Posselt J, Seidel G, Dierks M-L (2024). Promotion of exercise-related health literacy in the workplace - qualitative evaluation of a pilot program. Prev Gesundheitsf doi.org/10.1007/s11553-024-01133-z

Posselt J, Baumann E and Dierks M-L (2024). A qualitative interview study of patients' attitudes towards and intention to use digital interventions for depressive disorders on prescription. Front. Digit. Health 6:1275569. doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2024.1275569

Posselt J, Lander J, Dierks M-L (2024). Digital health applications in primary care: a basis for discussion to promote informed utilization decisions. Prev Gesundheitsf https://doi.org/10.1007/s11553-024-01126-y

Posselt J, Lander J, Dierks M-L (2024). Health Literacy Promotion and Digital Interventions for Depressive Disorders. HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2024;8(4):e236-e245. doi:10.3928/24748307-20240730-01

Posselt J, Klawunn R, Dierks M-L (2023). Prescription of digital health applications (DiGA) to people with depressive disorders: Results of a qualitative study. Z Allg Med 99(2):1-6, DOI: 10.1007/s44266-023-00034-2

Memenga P, Posselt J, Link E & Baumann E (2022). Competent and more informed?! The relationship between (digital) health literacy and health information behavior. In: Vogelgesang J, Ströbele-Benschop N, Schäfer M & Reifegerste D (eds.). Health Communication in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Contributions to the Annual Conference of the Health Communication Section 2021 (pp. 1-11). Hohenheim: German Society for Journalism and Communication Studies e.V. doi. org/10.21241/ssoar.84522

Posselt J, Ahrens S, Oppermann L, Naef AN (2022): Interdisciplinary health literacy research. the perspective of early career researchers. Findings from the ChEG Summer School. In: Qualitas 22(4), pp. 34-36.

Posselt J, Silke M, Dierks M-L ( 2022). Health literacy as part of the professional competence of health professionals. Conceptual positioning, challenges and need for action. In: Pedagogy of the health professions 9 (3), pp. 171-175. DOI: 10293.000/30000-22c2ef83.

Posselt J, Michele J (2021). Chronic diseases and health literacy (ChEG), In: Impulses for Health Promotion; 113 p. 22

Rezvani F, Heider D, Härter M, König H, Bienert F, Brinkmann J, Herbarth L, Kramer E, Steinisch P, Freudenstein F, Terhalle R, Grosse Y, Bock S, Posselt J, Beutel C, Reif F, Kirchhoff F, Neuschwander C, Löffler F, Brunner L, Dickmeis P, Heidenthal T, Schmitz L, Chase D, Seelenmeyer C, Alscher M, Tegtbur U, Dirmaier J (2020). Telephone health coaching with exercise monitoring using wearable activity trackers (TeGeCoach) for improving walking impairment in peripheral artery disease: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial and economic evaluation. BMJ OPEN. 2020;10(6): e032146.

Behrens-Potratz A, Posselt J, Hillmer J, Korte M, Rüdemann N, Wolfram H (2017). Integrated care. Survey results from health insurance companies and need for action. World of Health Insurance, Vol. 6, 2017, Issue 5, pp. 104 - 109.

Published abstracts

Posselt J, Maaß L, Müllmann S, Fischer F (2024). Digital health literacy: What we talk about, what we measure and how we should better operationalize it. Health - together. Cooperation conference of the German Society for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (GMDS), German Society for Social Medicine and Prevention (DGSMP), German Society for Epidemiology (DGEpi), German Society for Medical Sociology (DGMS) and the German Society for Public Health (DGPH). Dresden, 08-13.09.2024. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2024. docAbstr. 162. doi: 10.3205/24gmds940

Schmetsdorf J, Krüger K, Posselt J, Runde W, Zechel HG, Krauth C (2024). Investigating the role of psychosocial stress factors in back pain patients. European Journal of Public Health 2024; 34 (Supplement_3), ckae144-2236.

Posselt J (2023): "Mental Health in All Policies." Report on the annual conference of the German Society for Public Health 2023. Public Health 85 (10), p. 847. DOI: 10.1055/a-2140-7820.

Posselt J, Dierks M-L (2023): To what extent is patients' (digital) health literacy taken into account when prescribing digital health applications? A qualitative study on GP prescribing behavior. In: Healthcare 85 (08/09), p. 757. DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1770415.

Posselt J ( 2023). Exploration of (digital) health literacy through stimuli in guided interviews. Healthcare 2023; 85(08/09): 798 - 798. doi:10.1055/s-0043-1770558

Posselt J (2022). Dealing with sub-areas of health literacy using the example of (digital) health literacy of people with mental illness. Healthcare 2022; 84: 852 DOI 10.1055/s-0042-1753952

Posselt J, Dierks M-L (2022): Access to digital health applications - The perspective of insured persons with depressive disorders and those treating them. 7th ÖPGK conference, hybrid, 06.10.2022.

Posselt J, Dierks M-L (2022): DiGA for people with depressive disorders: Challenges and measures to promote (digital) health literacy. Poster presentation as part of the symposium "Health literacy between science and practice" at Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Hanover, 15.09.2022.

Kuhlmann E, Posselt J (2020). Digital health in a social health insurance system: new emergent market powers in Germany. J European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue Supplement_5, September 2020, ckaa166.011, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.011

Lectures

Posselt J (2023): Health literacy and the use of digital interventions for people with depressive disorders. Plenary lecture at the 8th conference of the Austrian Health Literacy Platform on October 11, 2023, hybrid from Vienna.

Posselt J, Arnoldt L, Maaß L (2023): Doing a doctorate in public health ... but how? Lecture series Career Paths in Public Health of the German Society for Public Health, online, 15.02.2023.

Posselt J, Baumann E, Dierks M-L (2023): Implementation of digital health applications for people with depressive disorders in primary care: Opportunities and barriers from the perspective of GPs and patients. Presentation at the 22nd German Congress for Health Services Research 2023, 04.10.2022.

Ahrens S, Posselt J ( 2022, August): Health literacy promotion of vulnerable groups. Workshop as part of the summer school on chronic diseases and interdisciplinary health literacy research, Hanover, 01.08.2022.

Posselt J (2022, August): Digital health applications and the role of (digital) health literacy in GP care: The perspective of patients and GPs. Poster presentation at the Summer School Chronic Diseases and Interdisciplinary Health Literacy Research, Hanover, 01.08.2022.

Posselt J (2022, August): (Digital) health literacy in the GP setting. Workshop as part of the summer school on chronic diseases and interdisciplinary health literacy research, Hanover, 01.08.2022.

Michele J, Ahrens S, Keller L, Posselt J (2022): Target group-oriented health literacy promotion among vulnerable groups - a discussion forum. Congress on Poverty and Health 2022, online, 24.03.2022.

Posselt J, Giesler P, Link E & Baumann E (2021): Competent and informed?! The interaction of (digital) health literacy and health information behavior. In 6th Annual Conference of the DGPuK Health Communication Section (German Society for Journalism and Communication Studies). Stuttgart-Hohenheim, 2021.