Our research group contributes knowledge and understanding about the importance of the environment in achieving health and well-being and person-centred care. Our work involves research on the physical and social environment and sustainable development in different healthcare settings.
The current transition from hospital healthcare to care and rehabilitation at home means that research needs to be conducted in close collaboration with the people concerned, organisations and councils, both regional and municipal. A sustainable society requires research and development, and in this regard, we can see rapid progress being made in several areas of society, including welfare technology, digitalisation and construction.
For this development to benefit and enhance people's health, well-being and security and increase their involvement, both a holistic approach and co-creation across professional and organisational boundaries are required.
The Research Group
What we focus on in our research is the importance of the environment for health and well-being. The environment in a healthcare context is usually defined as the care environment and includes both the built and the social environment. Our research also focuses on environmental health, where knowledge about climate change is important.
Environmental factors can affect a person's health and daily life, and it is crucial that they be considered when the aim is to achieve person-centred care. The environment is even more important in a care context in which hospital care is integrated with healthcare at home. The groups the research aims to benefit are older people with poor health and people with complex care needs. The aim of our research is to support people in managing their daily life and being active and involved in their own well-being, always with the environment in focus.
From an international perspective, healthcare in Sweden has weaknesses in continuity, accessibility and involvement. In the ongoing transition towards person-centred care, the demand increases for research that involves the people concerned, conducted in close collaboration with organisations and between regions and municipalities.
As an international and multidisciplinary group, we apply theories and methods from nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology, social work, health geography, architecture and gerontology. Our research projects include implementation- and descriptive studies when we gather knowledge about people’s experiences with healthcare and the care environment. We frequently use co-creation processes in our work. We involve important stakeholders to form a better understanding of healthcare processes and the need for the development of environments, technology and service.
Research Group Members
- Maya Kylén, Lund University
- Jennie Aronsson, PhD student, Plymouth University. Faculty of Health and the School of Nursing and Midwifery
- Steven Schmidt, docent, Lund University
- Helene Pessah-Rasmussen, docent, Lund University
- Lena von Koch, professor emeritus, Karolinska institute
- Charlotte Ytterberg, docent, Karolinska institute
- Tracy Finch, Northumbria University
- Fiona Jones, professor, Kings college London
- Elke Miedema, PhD, Chalmers
- Jodi Sturge, PhD, University of Groningen
- Louise Meijering, professor, University of Groningen
- Julie Bernhardt, professor, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
- Ruby Lipston-Smith, PhD, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
Research Projects
Research Project: Rehabilitation at home – development of a sustainable model, placing person’s needs and environmental resources at heart (InHome)
Project start: 2023-01-01
Socially sustainable housing for older adults: a scoping review and stakeholder consultation to inform evidence-based recommendations
Project start: 2022-08-01
Development and evaluation of a digital twin for person-centred home care from client and social service perspectives
Project start: 2022-04-01
Boendemiljöer för äldre – vad har betydelse för personen?
Project start: 2022-01-01
Built Environments to support rehabilitation for patients with stroke - From the hospital to the home (B Sure)
Project start: 2022-01-01
Building evidence of the built environment's impact on health (BUILD)
Project start: 2021-01-01
The Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old in Dalarna, SWEOLD-D
Project start: 2021-01-01
SELMA - self-management for persons with stroke
Project start: 2020-08-01
Safe accommodation for elderly people through smart technology (SAFEST)
Project start: 2020-01-01
Coordinate (teChnology tO suppORt DecIsioN-making about Ageing aT homE)
Project start: 2018-09-01
(SANS) Sustainability Attitudes in Nursing Survey
Project start: 2018-06-19
REARCH (Rehabilitation and architecture)
Project start: 2018-01-01
ACTS (Architecture at strokeunits) Stroke care units: evaluating the design quality and its impact on patients health, quality of care, and perception of the environment
Project start: 2013-01-01
Collaboration
Julie Bernhardt and colleagues. Florey Institute, Melbourne, project “The NoVELL redesign project”
Klas Palm och colleagues. Uppsala University, project ”IoT implementation in health and social care"
Steven Schmidts. Movement & Reality Lab
Riita Suhonen. University of Turku
Funding
EU programme: More years, better lives
The Swedish Stroke Association
Socialtjänstens Utvecklingscentrum i Dalarna (SUD)
Further Research at Dalarna University
Knowledge Implementation and Patient Safety (KIPS)
