Objective   To establish an index system for the evaluation on regional health emergency response capability in digital environment and to provide a reference to decision makers in relevant management practice.

  Methods  An index system for evaluating regional health emergency response capacity in digital environment was preliminarily established through literature research. Two rounds of Delphi expert consultation were conducted among 15 professionals to assess the 16 first, 61 second, and 138 third level indexes covering 3 dimensions of process, structure and outcome. All the indexes were screened with boundary value method based on the experts′ assessments and the weight of each index was calculated with analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and proportional distribution method.

  Results  For the two rounds of consultation, the positive coefficients of experts reached 100%; the authority coefficients of the experts were 0.823 and 0.840 and the coordination coefficients of expert opinions were 0.141 and 0.303 (all P < 0.05). The finally established index system includes 8 first, 32 second, and 172 third level indicators, with the highest weight of 0.1961 for ‘emergency support′, 0.5903 for ‘training′, and 1.0000 for ‘local health administrative department′s timely report of information on rapid manipulation of a regional health emergency to local government and to superior health administrative department′s among the first, second, third level indicators, respectively.

  Conclusion  The established index system for the evaluation on regional health emergency response capability in digital environment is of clear hierarchy, indicators with reasonable weights, and practicability and the index system could be used in the evaluation-related survey, management and decision-making.