Research
Contact
Head of division
Postal Address
Visting Address
Research
(By clicking on the respective research focus, the corresponding projects will be displayed.)
Moral conflicts in familial dementia care involving migrant live-in carers in Germany and Israel: A comparative-ethical exploration and analysis (MoDeCare)
Principal Investigators: Dr. Merle Weßel (Ethics in Medicine, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg) (PI), Dr. Milena von Kutzleben (Organizational Health Services Research, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg), Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda (Ethics in Medicine, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg), Prof. Liat Ayalon (Bar Ilan University), Dr. Michal Herz (geriatric consultant, freelancing researcher)
Project Members (Division of Ethics in Medicine): Dr. Merle Weßel
Funding: VolkswagenStiftung
Funding Reference: 11-76251-2684/2021 ZN 3864
Duration: 2022–2024
Population ageing leads to a higher prevalence of dementia and thus an increasing need for care for those affected. Dementia Disease is characterized by the gradual loss of cognitive capabilities and an increasing need for help and care. This need cannot be fulfilled sufficiently by professional care workers and informal carers. In many countries, migrant live-in carers have become a common solution to fill this care void, e.g. Germany and Israel. However, these live-in care arrangements are prone to considerable social, legal, and moral difficulties. Nowadays, migrant care workers, employed by families, are expected to provide 24-hour care while living with their patients. Israel has created binding legal regulations whereas, in Germany, a legal framework is absent.
This project focuses on the comparative empirical exploration of moral conflicts in live-in care arrangements in Germany and Israel and their ethical reflection. Therefore, different levels will be examined. In the triad itself the moral and intercultural conflicts, the distribution of roles within the families, and the caring responsibilities are important aspects. On the meso level the interaction between family and agency will be analyzed, as well as the response to the need for more care capacities, regulatory differences, and the consequences brought by current neoliberal development on the macro level. The data will be collected by conducting group interviews within the triad with the person with dementia, the live-in, and the relatives and with groups of experts.
The aim is to develop a more profound understanding of moral conflicts in live-in dementia care in Germany and Israel in order to formulate empirically informed ethical recommendations for care providers and policy makers.
Contact: Dr. Merle Weßel ()
DFG-Research Group: Medicine and the Time Structure of the Good Life
Research Group Speaker: Prof. Dr. Claudia Wiesemann (University Medical Center Göttingen)
Principal Investigator (Division of Ethics in Medicine): Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda
Project Members (Division of Ethics in Medicine): Joelle-Marie Krautz, M.A., Lena Stange, M.Sc. (associated)
Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG)
Funding Reference: FOR 5022
Duration: 2021–2025
Perceptions of the good life provide practical orientation – also in the context of medicine. However, the role of time and temporality has not been systematically researched in this context. The Research Group Medicine, Time and the Good Life addresses this complex issue from an interdisciplinary perspective. The goal is an empirically informed systematization of temporal conditions of the good life in the context of modern medicine. To this end, the group combines research perspectives from philosophy, medical ethics, medicine, modern literature and media studies, as well as sociology/social psychology organized in eight sub-projects. They address different medical fields of application and biographical phases of life, such as the treatment of chronic illness in young and middle adulthood, reproductive medicine in middle and late adulthood, and the (re)negotiation of ageing in health care for older people. In addition to the University of Oldenburg, the Research Group involves researchers from the Humboldt University Berlin, the Goethe University Frankfurt with the Sigmund Freud Institute as well as the University Medical Centre Göttingen and the University of Göttingen are involved.
Together with the speaker Prof. Claudia Wiesemann, Prof. Mark Schweda is PI of the Research Group’s central and integrative project (ZIP). Furthermore, he is PI of the sub-project 7 "Between resignation and optimization – The time structure of the good life in the context of geriatric medicine”. The project examines the relationship between modern medicine and the temporal conditions of a good life with regard to ageing as a process and old age as a phase of life. The focus is on the question of the interrelation between geriatric medicine and care on the one hand and ideas of ageing well and of good life at old age on the other.
Contact: Joelle-Marie Krautz, M.A. (joelle-marie.krautz@uni-oldenburg.de)
Project Website: https://for5022.de/en/start/
Improvement of working conditions in outpatient care through innovative work concepts in the region (VAPiAR)
Project Coordination: Dr. Michael Bau, Institut Leistung Arbeit Gesundheit (ILAG)
Principal Investigator (Division of Ethics in Medicine): Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda
Project Members (Division of Ethics in Medicine): Meike Ahlers, M.A.
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Funding Reference: 02L20B054
Duration: 2021–2024
The implementation of new technologies appears to be a promising perspective to ensure the provision of nursing care in view of population aging and increasing shortage of nursing staff. However, in addition to technological, ethical and social questions, especially the transfer of new technologies into practice constitutes a challenge. The aim of the VAPiAR project is to facilitate work processes in outpatient nursing care through the use of application-specific and needs-oriented technologies, while at the same time preserving the independence, self-determination and quality of life of those in need of care. To this end, technologies will be selected and further developed in a participatory process in the VAPiAR Living Lab to be designed in the project. The Living Lab will constitute an interdisciplinary platform in which technology-supported processes in outpatient care will be demonstrated, discussed and further developed. It not only offers a concrete experience of new technologies but also serves as a networking platform for various players in regional care. Within the VAPiAR project, the consideration of the ethical, legal and social aspects represents an important component. For example, questions of privacy, the influence on professional practice, and informational self-determination are addressed. The aim is to make the Living Lab permanent in the form of a competence center which will also create added value in the long term.
Contact: Meike Ahlers, M.A. ()
Project Website: https://www.offis.de/en/offis/project/vapiar.html
The Public (Re-)Negotiation of Intergenerational Solidarity and Responsibility in the Corona-Pandemic – Media Discourse Analysis and Ethical Evaluation (PRISMAE)
Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda (Ethics in Medicine, University of Oldenburg) & Dr. Larissa Pfaller (Institute for Sociology, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg)
Project Members: Niklas Ellerich-Groppe, M.A. (Ethics in Medicine, University of Oldenburg), Irmgard Steckdaub-Muller (Institute for Sociology, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg)
Funding: VolkswagenStiftung
Funding Reference: Az.: 99 340.
Duration: 2021–2022
In public and policy debates on the Corona-pandemic, ideas of solidarity and responsibility between the generations have emerged as central normative points of reference. Thus, they are frequently applied in the ongoing discussions on general measures for infection prevention, on the prioritization of intensive care, and on the access to and promotion of vaccination. However, the huge variety of – occasionally contradictory – conceptions of intergenerational solidarity and responsibility in these debates calls for scientific examination and clarification. Against this backdrop, the project aims to critically explore the moral and political significance as well as the ongoing public (re-)negotiation of intergenerational solidarity and responsibility in the context of COVID 19. Combining sociological analysis and ethical reflection of the German media discourse, we conduct a discourse analysis of the public media discourse and relevant political speeches from the German-speaking area. The results provide urgently needed clarification and orientation regarding crucial normative principles in the current crisis. They also offer a chance to address and discuss the fundamental moral constitution of intergenerational relations in contemporary aging societies.
The results of the project are distributed to the general public via a project-podcast. In this way, the project takes first steps towards the deliberative negotiation of a new intergenerational contract.
Contact: Niklas Ellerich-Groppe, M.A. ()
Project Website: https://uol.de/en/ethics-in-medicine/research/research-projects/prismae
Relevant Dimensions and Aspects of Stereotyping in Human-Robot Interaction in Eldercare (DiAStereo)
Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda (Division of Ethics in Medicine, University of Oldenburg), Prof. Dr. Frauke Koppelin (Section Technology and Health, Jade University of Applied Sciences Oldenburg/Wilhelmshaven/Elsfleth), Dr. Merle Weßel (Division of Ethics in Medicine, University of Oldenburg)
Project Members (Division of Ethics in Medicine): Niklas Ellerich-Groppe, M.A.
Funding: Own funds/Research Funds of the Jade University of Applied Sciences Oldenburg/Wilhelmshaven/Elsfleth
Duration: 2021–2022
In the face of demographic ageing, the change of traditional familial care arrangements, and the ongoing shortage of skilled care workers, assistive robotics is becoming increasingly important in the sensitive field of eldercare. It is known from social psychological research that social categories like age or gender play a similar role in human-robot interaction as they do in human interaction. There are even considerations to use stereotypical attributions strategically to increase technology acceptance and well-being among users. However, such strategies are morally ambivalent: There is a risk of disregarding the autonomy and needs of those being cared for and of reproducing social prejudices. In the end, this can lead to (intersectional) discrimination or even manipulation of users. Against this backdrop, the project focuses on the relevant stakeholder perspectives: It explores how professional stakeholders in technology development and industry as well as in nursing science and care perceive and evaluate the implementation of gender and age stereotypes in care robotics and the corresponding moral problems. Thus, we examine to what extent the wishes and needs of future users are taken into account in the development and implementation of care robots.
Contact: Niklas Ellerich-Groppe, M.A. ()
Project Website: https://uol.de/medizinethik/forschung/projekte/diastereo [GER]
Sociocultural Diversity and Discrimination in Medicine from an Intersectional Perspective (SoDiMe)
Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda (Ethics in Medicine, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg) & Dr. Merle Weßel (Ethics in Medicine, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg)
Project Members (Division for Ethics in Medicine): Simon Gerhards
Funding: Own funds
Duration: since 2021
Socio-cultural diversity and discrimination are increasingly perceived and discussed in all areas of German society. Especially racism is currently attracting increased attention. However, while racism in the context of medicine and healthcare is increasingly scrutinized in international research, there is an acute need for in-depth knowledge about racism in medical research, education and practice for the context of the German health care system. The perspective of medical students is of particular importance since they get an insight in all the different fields of medicine (research, education, practice) and will effectively shape future healthcare.
Together with Prof. Dr. Silke Schicktanz from the University Medical Center Göttingen, the project investigates the perspectives of medical students on diversity and discrimination in general and on racism in medicine in particular. The leading research question is how racism is perceived and dealt with in medical education and practice. The aim is to formulate recommendations for the implementation of anti-discriminatory curricula and courses. To this end, we combine ethical analysis with qualitative social research (online focus groups with medical students at different German universities). The analysis of the perspectives of medical students offers insights into their perceptions, understandings, and moral evaluations of these social phenomena. Furthermore, the experiences of medical students can be used to shed light on the characteristics of racism in health care and medical education. Based on empirically informed ethical analyses the project aims to derive recommendations for anti-discriminatory medical education.
Contact: Dr. Merle Weßel ()
Project Website: https://uol.de/medizinethik/forschung/projekte/sodime [GER]
Intersectional and ethical perspectives on ageing and body weight in health care
Principal Investigators: Dr. Merle Weßel (Ethics in Medicine, University of Oldenburg) & Dr. Solveig Lena Hansen (Public Health Ethics, University Bremen)
Funding: Impuls-Research Funding of the Association of Northern German Universities
Funding Reference: 210507 VNU51
Duration: August–December 2021
In the context of an increasing life expectancy and demographic ageing, the body weight of older people will become an important topic in the areas of medicine and public health. At the same time, body weight constitutes a relevant factor when developing preventative measures against obesity and conducting bariatric surgery. The prevention paradigm and the demand for “successful”, “active” and “healthy” ageing requires the re-negotiation of norms and understandings of bodies and ageing. The project studies the connection between old age and obesity from an empirical-ethical perspective. (a) From an empirical perspective, we explore in what areas of the health care system discrimination occur due to old age and body weight and which salutogenic resources of the affected people are relevant. (b) From an ethical perspective, we explore to what extent old obese people face discrimination in relation to access to treatment and preventive measures, and we ask from a perspective of (social) justice what fair access to salutogenic resources requires.
Contact: Dr. Merle Weßel ()
Project Website: https://uol.de/en/health-services-research/divisions/ethics-in-medicine/bodyweight-ageing
Ethical and Social Issues of Co-intelligent Monitoring and Assistive Technologies in Dementia Care (EIDEC)
Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Silke Schicktanz (Georg-August-University Göttingen), Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Hein (Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Kirste (University Rostock), Prof. Dr. Stefan Teipel (German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases e.V. (DZNE) of the Helmholtz Association, Rostock)
Project Members (Division of Ethics in Medicine): Eike Buhr, M.Ed.
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Funding Reference: 01GP1901B
Duration: 2020–2022
Due to demographic ageing and technological innovations, dementia care is facing fundamental changes. New tracking, sensor, and assistance technologies make it possible to monitor and support the behaviour of people with dementia. The goal is to allow independent living, detect problems early on, relieve caregivers and increase the overall quality and cost-effectiveness of care. These socio-technical systems integrate artificial intelligence, semantics, and human interpretations.
Our research team investigates ethical, social and technological aspects of such co-intelligent systems in dementia care in institutional and home care settings. Combining technology assessment and empirically informed ethics, we explore social acceptance and moral evaluations among different groups (patients, family members, professional caregivers and physicians) by using qualitative interviews. The ethical analysis focuses on two important ethical concepts: privacy and empowerment. The sub-projects based at the University of Oldenburg focus on the outpatient setting and the perspectives of patients and family members. In particular, they address ethical questions of privacy in technology-assisted care for people with dementia. The project results will feed into public reports, scientific articles, and demonstration videos. They are intended to inform developers of such systems, researchers in ethics, social sciences, and law, representatives of patient associations and policy makers about how ethical and social perspectives and concerns of potential users and other stakeholders should be taken into account in the development and the use of the technologies in dementia care.
Contact: Eike Buhr, M.Ed. ()
Project Website: http://demenz-assistenz.de/HOME/
Triade_online – Eastern European live-in carers in home care arrangements for people with dementia: Problems and moral conflicts in the triad person with dementia – live-in carer – family carer
Principal Investigators: Dr. Milena von Kutzleben (Organizational Health Services Research, University of Oldenburg), Dr. Merle Weßel (Ethics in Medicine, University of Oldenburg), Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda (Ethics in Medicine, University of Oldenburg), Prof. Dr. Lena Ansmann (Organizational Health Services Research, University of Oldenburg)
Funding: Own Funds
Duration: since 2020
In Germany, the majority of people with dementia still lives in private households. In order to cover the extensive care requirements for dementia, many families fall back on so-called live-in carers, mostly from Eastern European countries. Families who choose this kind of home care are usually on their own to organise the care arrangements. Online forums and groups in social networks are two of the few possibilities to talk to other affected persons about the topic of live-in care. The joint project of the Divisions of Organizational Health Services Research and Ethics in Medicine takes a closer look at the perspectives and argumentation patterns of families who are responsible for the home care of a person with dementia and have employed a live-in carer or are considering this option. Combining health service research and ethical approaches, we examine topics, areas of problems, and moral conflicts in care arrangements for people with dementia involving a live-in carer, based on the statements of relatives.
Contact: Dr. Merle Weßel ()
Project Website: https://uol.de/en/ohsr/projects/triade-online