Research
Research
Research projects
GUBER
The influence of counselling during health check-ups in general practice on patients' lifestyles
Background
Prevention is an important part of the work of general practitioners. The statutory health examination (health check-up) includes a consultation with the doctor as well as a full-body status assessment. The influence of this counselling is to be investigated as part of this research project.
Aim
The aim of the GUBER study is to investigate the effects of GP counselling on patients' lifestyles:
- Which areas of lifestyle are addressed?
- What influence can general practitioners exert with their counselling?
The present project is a cross-sectional survey with a quantitative study design. With the help of an (online) questionnaire, patients in GP practices are asked about their experiences. The results can be used to draw conclusions about the importance of GP consultations.
Duration: from November 2024
Contact person:
Christian Hübner (doctoral candidate in human medicine):
Dr Imke Aits M.Sc:
VURO
Utilisation of urological screening examinations - a qualitative analysis of patients' participation decisions
Background
In Germany, the urological screening examination is offered by the statutory health insurance funds for men aged 45 and over and includes a digital rectal examination of the prostate and rectum, palpation of the inguinal lymph nodes and the external genital organs. The determination of the PSA value (prostate-specific antigen) as part of the screening is a self-payer service. The benefits and harms of the examination are still being debated. Overall, the statutory urological screening examination is only utilised by around a third of men in Germany.
Objective
The low utilisation rate in conjunction with the current debate about urological screening examinations, in particular the determination of the PSA value, gives rise to a closer examination.
The objectives of the research project are
- To determine the reasons for or against participation in urological screening.
- to determine other factors that influence the utilisation of urological screening.
- to analyse different perspectives on urological screening.
This project is a cross-sectional survey with a qualitative study design. Patients, general practitioners and urologists are interviewed using guided interviews.
Duration: from December 2024
Contact person:
Carlotta Martin (student of human medicine): carlotta.marie.martin@uni-oldenburg.de
Dr Imke Aits M.Sc. (PH):
PEGOM
Mental health and its influencing factors in medical studies - a cross-sectional survey of medical students in Oldenburg
Background
Previous research has shown a high prevalence of depressive symptoms among medical students. Depressive disorders are often associated with a significantly reduced quality of life and performance for those affected. As only healthy doctors can provide their patients with the best possible care, the mental health of this professional group should already be taken into account during their studies.
Aim
This project aims to regularly record certain aspects of the mental health of students of human medicine at the University of Oldenburg. Based on the results, existing support programmes can be evaluated and, if necessary, new programmes tailored to the needs of the students can be implemented. The aims are...
- Regular recording of the frequency of depressive symptoms among Oldenburg medical students
- Identification of influencing factors in the form of stressors or socio-demographic characteristics
- Evaluation of existing support services and survey of the need for and desired form of further services
This project is a cross-sectional survey with a quantitative study design. With the help of a developed online questionnaire, the above-mentioned data will be collected from Oldenburg medical students and then analysed descriptively.
Duration: from November 2023
Responsibilities
Jana, Paehl¹, Dr Imke Aits¹
FacultyVI Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
Contact person::
Jana Paehl (doctoral candidate in human medicine):
Dr Imke Aits M.Sc. (PH):
TRACE-UTI (CHARE GD I)
Sub-project 2: Diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infections in Dutch and German primary care centres and their influence on the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Background
Antibiotic resistance is a global public health problem. Infections with resistant bacteria are more difficult to treat and previously treatable infectious diseases can become life-threatening. Worldwide, the treatment options for infectious diseases, including the prescription of antibiotics, differ between countries. There are also striking differences between neighbouring countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, although the causes are still largely unknown.
Aim
This project aims to investigate differences and similarities in the management, incidence and treatment of infectious diseases in the Ems-Dollard region with a focus on primary care. Particular attention will be paid to urinary tract infections (UTIs) as these are one of the most common infectious diseases in primary care and one of the main reasons for antibiotic prescribing. Specific objectives of the project are:
- the systematic comparison of primary care systems on both sides of the border, including aspects of infrastructure, guidelines, financing of diagnostics and treatment of patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs),
- a better understanding of the daily routine and reality of GPs in the treatment of UTIs and
- the determination of the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens isolated from UTIs.
The following methods will be used
- Literature research on infrastructure, general healthcare conditions and practice guidelines for the treatment of UTIs
- Interviews with German and Dutch general practitioners to investigate the differences in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with a UTI
- Investigations of patients with symptoms of uncomplicated UTI in the north of the Dutch-German border region to determine and compare the causative pathogens and their resistance patterns
- Comparison of the results with inpatient data of hospitalised patients with urinary tract infections
DurationApril 2021 until October 2024
Funded by: Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony
Responsibilities
Dr Corinna Glasner¹ ,Prof Dr Michael Freitag²
Members of the project
Prof. Dr Axel Hamprecht², Dr Marco Blanker¹, Prof. Dr Alexander Winter², Dr Bianca Michalik², Dr Henk van der Worp¹, Dr Matthijs Berends1,3, Dr Joppe van Duijn³, Dr Alewijn Ott³, Dr Imke Aits², Aida Bedri²
¹University Medical Center Gronigen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
² University Medicine Oldenburg, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
³ Certe Medische Diagnostiek en Advies [Certe Medical Diagnostics and Counselling], Groningen, Netherlands
Contact person::
Aida Bedri, M.Sc. Epidemiology (Research Associate):
Department of Health Services Research, Division of General Medicine under the direction of Prof Dr Michael Freitag
SleepCheck (completed)
Identification of challenges and possible solutions to improve sleep medicine care through preventive care by general practitioners
Background
Untreated sleep disorders reduce quality of life and performance and increase the risk of secondary diseases. In addition to the suffering of those affected, they cause high medical and economic costs. Primary care in sleep medicine via GPs could improve the care of patients with insomnia, who are considered to be underserved in current studies.
Aim
The aim of the SchlafCheck project is to supplement the routine CheckUp-35 for the early detection of illnesses, if necessary or if there are corresponding indications in the medical history, with two-stage diagnostics in the area of sleep in order to recognise harmful sleep problems at an early stage and prevent secondary illnesses. The aims are...
- To test a diagnostic questionnaire on sleep behaviour in the context of GP office hours.
- Identification of obstacles, expectations and wishes of sleep medicine care in general practitioner care in the context of expert interviews
- Testing innovative sleep diagnostics using a home monitoring system to record a sleep electroencephalogram (EEG)
The following methods will be used
- Interviews with GPs to determine wishes, expectations and hurdles of sleep medicine diagnostics and the use of technical innovations
- Testing of a validated insomnia questionnaire (Insomnia Severity Index) as part of Check-Up 35
- Field study with patients with abnormal sleep behaviour and care with a home monitoring system to collect sleep data (EEG)
Duration: April 2023 - September 2024
Funding organisation: Federal Ministry of Health
Responsibilities
Prof Dr Michael Freitag¹, Dr Insa Wolf²
Project members:
Marianne Timper M.Sc.¹, Dr Wiebke Pätzold²
¹FacultyVI Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
2 Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT, Oldenburg, Germany
Contact person::
Marianne Timper, M.Sc. Public Health (Research Associate):
BRIDGE (completed)
Together with the KV Lower Saxony, the European Medical School Oldenburg, the city of Emden, the district of Aurich and other cooperation partners, the BRIDGE project was launched on 1 January 2020, which accompanies immigrant doctors as part of a trainee programme until they are recognised.
HOW?
The BRIDGE project aims to develop a welcoming structure that supports local doctors in accepting, training and allowing immigrant doctors to work for, with and at their organisation. This approach is familiar to some extent from clinics; in the GP system, this form of work shadowing is still uncommon. This in turn probably leads to the fact that generally few immigrant doctors start specialist training to become general practitioners - we would like to proactively counteract this with this project.
PROCESS
In the project, the immigrant doctors, most of whom already live in German, will work in teaching practices for 12 months in order to familiarise themselves intensively with the language and the German healthcare system. The doctors will be supported by experts during the project as part of the preparatory courses and other programmes. Further qualifications are offered via the existing further training programme of the European Medical School Oldenburg in order to sharpen professional competence within general medicine during the trainee year and to promote a network between the German and immigrant doctors.
GOAL AND COST COVERAGE
The aim of the trainee programme is for the doctors to remain in the respective GP practice after recognition and begin their specialist training to become a general practitioner. The doctor is financed in the first year by selected funding organisations. Accommodation will be provided by the city of Emden and the district of Aurich. If the doctor decides in favour of general practice, a large part of the salary and training costs will be financed from the following year via the "Further training fund for general practice" (further information kvn.de).
START
The first round with approx. 10 doctors started in April 2021. The basic requirement is that applicants must have a B2 level and be able to present all documents from their studies.
Contact person for the BRIDGE project at the EMS University of Oldenburg:
Sabine Kurpgoweit, specialist in general medicine:
Website of the project:
KOPAL (completed)
Development and evaluation of a concept for interprofessional cooperation
for patients with palliative care needs
Background and objectives
The care of people with progressive non-oncological chronic diseases is a challenge in general practice. Affected patients often suffer for years from severe pain, shortness of breath, anxiety or other accompanying symptoms. Specialised outpatient palliative care (SAPV) focuses on controlling these symptoms. In the advanced stages of the disease, patients are often hospitalised, which could potentially have been avoided through early symptom relief and control. Despite the expansion of general outpatient palliative care (AAPV) - supplemented in 2017 by specially qualified and coordinated outpatient palliative medical care (BQKPMV) - case-related consultations between GPs and SAPV are not provided as part of standard care.
The aim of the KOPAL study is to optimise care at the end of life by intensifying outpatient interdisciplinary and interprofessional cooperation, thereby reducing hospital stays, reducing the symptom burden and improving quality of life.
Design and methodology
- Two-arm cluster-randomised, controlled intervention study at four sites in northern Germany.
- Inclusion of 608 patients with a documented confirmed diagnosis of heart failure (NYHA 3-4), COPD (GOLD 3-4, Group D) or dementia (GDS ≥ 4) in 56 GP practices.
- Standardised survey on the health situation at baseline and after 6, 12, 24 and 48 weeks.
- Primary endpoint: total number of hospital admissions during the observation period;
- Secondary endpoints: Current care situation, healthcare costs (economic efficiency), symptom burden, health-related quality of life.
- Final qualitative evaluation of the intervention.
Intervention
Home visit by an SAPV nurse with a structured discussion to prepare for the one-off structured telephone case discussion between the SAPV nurse, SAPV doctor and GP.
Planned utilisation of results
If successful, the KOPAL concept can be an easy-to-implement, low-threshold approach to strengthening academic appointments and interdisciplinary outpatient palliative care.
Funding organisation: Innovation Committee of the G-BA
Duration: June 2019 to May 2022
Partners: UKE Hamburg, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Hannover Medical School, University of Oldenburg
Contact persons in Oldenburg:
Silke Böttcher, M.A. Public Health (Research Associate):
Research Practice Network North (FoPraNet-North)
Dear colleagues,
Studies "from practice for practice" are much more relevant to your daily work. Therefore, your experience and willingness to participate in a research project to whatever extent is of great importance.
The FoPraNet-Nord network is a supra-regional association of the local networks of the Institutes of General Practice at the university locations of Hamburg, Hanover, Göttingen, Oldenburg, Greifswald and Rostock. Each location has its own GP practice network structures for teaching and research, which are now brought together under the common umbrella structure of FoPraNet-Nord. FoPraNet-Nord pursues the overarching goal of pooling expertise in general medical research, expanding co-operation and thus sustainably strengthening GP care in northern Germany.
We cordially invite you to join us.
Further information can be found here: UKE - FoPraNet-North
We are happy to answer questions via: