Research Interests

My research interests are international, social science theory-led and mainly in the field of patient-centered health services research and educational research in the health sector. Starting from my early steps into research during the global AIDS crisis in the early 1990s my main focus is on health, social and nursing care for people with severe chronic illnesses or at the end of their life. My research projects were about the situation and perspective of these patients and their experiences on their way through a complex and often confusing health care system. Furthermore I’m interested in concepts, structures and procedures for health and nursing care for patients with special needs, for example in the field of Palliative Care, High-Tech Home Care or Intensive Home Care / Hospital-at-Home. I’m especially interested in concepts, models and strategies for the organization and management of health and social care for these patients (Case Management, Care Management, Pathways). Moreover therapeutic-technical aspects like home respiration and infusion therapy and questions of integrating patients and their relatives in these demanding forms of care are of interest. Additional aspects of my research are initiatives for fostering health literacy, patient information and education as well as self-management and self-help.

Coming from this patient-centered perspective and considering my background in pedagogy I’m concerned about the qualifications health professionals require to answer complex biological, psychological and social needs of their patients. Therefore, during the last years different aspects of health professions education with a main focus on nursing and its academization and professionalization became more and more important in my research work.

Selected Projects

2020 - 2021 MELBERcom - Communication, health literacy and interprofessionality in a global health workforce. MEL/BER Seed Funding Program of the Berlin University Alliance / Germany and University of Melbourne / Australia

2020 – 2023 AUPIK – Maintenance of home care infrastructures in crisis and disasters - Funded by Federal Ministry of Research / Berlin, Germany

2019 - 2021 SAVENT - Safety dimensions of aids supply in home care for ventilated patients. Funded by the Innovationsausschuss beim Gemeinsamen Bundesausschuss (G-BA), Germany

2016 – 2020 SPLASH I / II – Establishing School Nurses at general-education schools in Brandenburg and Hesse – Funded by HAGE e.V. / Frankfurt/Main (SPLASH I) and AWO Potsdam e.V. (SPLASH II)

2015 - 2017 PRIKON - International Review and Comparison of Primary Care Concepts - Funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation; Realized in collaboration with University of Bielefeld, Institute of Nursing Science

2015-2016 VELA-Regio - Health care services for ventilated patients under regional aspects - Funded by AOK Bundesverband (Statutory Health Insurance Fund)

2013-2016 SHAPE - Safety in Home Care for ventilated Patients - Funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research; Realized at Charité - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin

2012 - 2014 Rural Care Models - An International Perspective (RUCA) - Funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation; Realized in collaboration with University of Bielefeld, Institute of Nursing Science

2009 – 2012 “Self-management for people with mental health problems” – Funded by University Research Budget; completed at Charité – Universitaetsmedizin Berlin

2010 – 2011 “Curriculum Development and Analyses in Vocational Training for Adult and Pediatric Nurses” – Funded by the Ministry of Labour and Social Order, Family and Seniors Baden-Wuerttemberg and the Association of Nurse Educators Baden-Wuerttemberg; completed at Charité – Universitaetsmedizin Berlin

2004 – 2011 “Support of self-management and adherence of patients with chronic illness following a complex medication regime” – Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research; executed as part of the North Rhine-Westphalian Nursing Research Network under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Doris Schaeffer; completed at University of Bielefeld

2004 – 2005 “Palliative Practice – perspectives and needs of staff of in-patient and home care services for the elderly” – Funded by Robert Bosch Foundation Stuttgart; completed at Munich University of Applied Sciences

2003 – 2004 „Collaboration and Network Building in independent patient advice systems following § 65b SGB V” – Funded by the Umbrella Association of the German Health Insurances; completed in collaboration with University of Bielefeld and the Medical University of Hannover

2000 – 2003 “Funding and Development of Palliative Home Care in North-Rhine Westfalia” – Funded by the Ministry of Family, Youth, Women and Health North-Rhine Westfalia; completed at University of Bielefeld, Institute of Nursing Research

1998 – 2003 “Patient-centered management of the human-technic-interface in high-tech home care” – Funded by University Research Budget; completed at University of Bielefeld, Institute of Nursing Research

1996 – 2000 “Fostering the readiness to care for the seriously ill and dying persons in case of HIV/AIDS” – Funded by the Federal Ministry of Labour / Federal Ministry of Health in the context of the Federal Model Program “Improvement of the situation of long-term care recipients” (Phase 1 / 2); completed at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB)