In the context of a public health emergency such as the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Digital Information Dissemination Products (DIDPs) can have a significant impact on how people receive, process and assimilate information. Yet despite this potential, the many solutions that were put forward by organizations, governments and tech companies have not been able to properly counteract the alarming rates at which false or misleading information have been able to spread through online media (Tasnim et al, 2020; Wang et al, 2019).

In this study, we define Digital Information Dissemination Products (DIDPs) as any online tool, service, platform or software —with or without a physical tangible form— focused on informing, educating, influencing or modifying key social behaviours, in areas of significant public interest. This paper proposes a new approach —structured through a set of facilitation tools— to rapidly design DIDPs, maximizing their impact and effectiveness in the context of a public health emergency.

The proposed design methodology is based on a theoretical framework built around two information platform case studies built during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, a systemic analysis of the larger context of public health misinformation, and the principles of human-centered design. The case studies provide an understanding of the specific design requirements needed to develop DIDPs, while the systemic analysis provides a broader understanding of the larger information ecosystem and an overview of the dynamics affecting information flows in public health emergencies specifically.

Finally, a series of recommendations for additional research are presented, highlighting the shortcomings of the proposed tools, and opportunities for further development.