News & Events
News & Events
April 2026: Conference of the Structure and Quality Working Group of the State Committee for Rescue Services
Implementation of a prioritisation workshop to coordinate an initial catalogue of indicators for quality assurance in the rescue service among the participants of the Structure and Quality Working Group of the State Committee for Rescue Services
April 2026: Publication published in the Journal of Evidence, Training and Quality in Healthcare
In April 2026, the publication "Low-priority operations in the rescue service: Planned and actual disposition of resources in a German integrated control centre after the introduction of a standardised emergency call query. A retrospective analysis of control centre data" was published.
The aim of the analysis was to investigate how often low-priority requests for assistance are recognised in an integrated control centre by a standardised emergency call query and which care resources are then actually dispatched. The retrospective analysis shows that just under 10% of the standardised calls were low-priority requests for assistance. More than half of these cases fell within the remit of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, 41.1 % within the remit of the ambulance service.
The results make it clear that low-priority requests for assistance can only be provided in line with demand if suitable downstream resources, such as municipal emergency paramedics, are available and can be dispatched around the clock.
The publication can be accessed free of charge via the following link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.zefq.2026.03.006
March 2026: German Interdisciplinary Emergency Medicine Congress (DINK)
Poster discussion: "Job satisfaction of community paramedics in the Oldenburg region"
Koblenz, 2026
January 2026: Closed meeting of the Structure and Quality Working Group of the State Committee for Rescue Services
May 2025: Congress of the German Society of Internal Medicine (DGIM)
Presentation on the "Community paramedic" project
DGIM 2025, Wiesbaden
March 2025: German Interdisciplinary Emergency Medicine Congress (DINK)
Presentation: "Telemedical care in nursing homes testing the new mobile phone standard "5G" - implementation and evaluation"
Poster discussion: "Needs-based care services for low-priority requests for help in the control centre (BeVanie) - analysis of control centre data and development of (alternative) care paths"
DINK 2025, Koblenz
March 2025: Visit to Notruf Niederösterreich
In March 2025, we visited Notruf Niederösterreich and were given a comprehensive insight into the Lower Austrian healthcare system. The focus was on the provision of non-urgent requests for help and the central role of Notruf Niederösterreich as a medical hub for health issues. The system combines emergency call handling, initial medical counselling and deployment coordination in order to guarantee needs-based patient care. The exchange provided a valuable opportunity to share knowledge and experience in the field of patient care. Both sides benefited from the insights into tried-and-tested processes and new developments in the healthcare sector.
February 2025: Workshop "Needs-based supply of low-priority requests for assistance"
The number of non-urgent requests for help in the rescue control centres, but also in the emergency rooms and medical on-call service has been increasing for several years. However, rescue services, emergency departments and doctors' surgeries or on-call medical services are not always the appropriate institutions. The aim of the project "Needs-based care for low-priority requests for help" (funded by the Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance Physician Care) is to develop more efficient and needs-based care pathways for these requests for help in order to help relieve the burden on those currently involved in emergency care. Based on an analysis of non-urgent requests for help in the control centre, typical case examples were developed and discussed with representatives from the rescue control centre, rescue service, on-call medical service and emergency department in order to identify any other actors and institutions required to provide needs-based care. In a joint workshop, possible care pathways were defined together with the current and other identified stakeholders and it was agreed whether and how closer cooperation could look in practice.
December 2024: Visit to the Meldkamer Noord-Nederland
In December 2024, we visited the Meldkamer (control centre) Noord-Nederland to discuss differences and similarities in emergency call handling, rescue resources and qualifications and to develop ideas for possible cross-border research projects.
March 2024: German Interdisciplinary Emergency Medicine Congress (DINK)
Lecture: "Alternative care concepts for low-priority operations in the German rescue service - a descriptive review"
DINK 2024, Koblenz
February 2024: "Tele-emergency medicine in the rescue service" - Goslar pilot project
On 28 February 2024, the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Interior and Sport held an information event in Goslar on the topic of "Tele-Emergency Medicine in the Rescue Service". The event informed the participating heads of rescue services, medical directors of rescue services and the heads of the control centres about the current planning status of the state-wide introduction of tele-emergency medicine. Dr Johanna Lubasch and Dr Insa Seeger presented the initial results of the scientific monitoring of the "Telenotfallmedizin Goslar" project.
January 2024: Hearing on the draft law to amend the Lower Saxony Rescue Service Act - Lower Saxony State Parliament Committee for Internal Affairs and Sport
On 18 January 2024, Dr Insa Seeger was invited to give her opinion on the topics of community emergency paramedics and tele-emergency medicine as an expert at the Committee for Internal Affairs and Sport in the Lower Saxony state parliament on the amendment of the Lower Saxony Rescue Service Act. Both of these are important resources in order to be able to meet the challenges of rescue service provision in the future. The rescue service organisations from the districts of Cloppenburg and Oldenburg were also present to report on their experiences from the community emergency paramedic project.
October 2023: Expert forum and congress "Prevention of out-of-hospital emergency care"
From 26.10. to 28.10.2023, we were able to take part in the expert forum and subsequent congress "Prevention of out-of-hospital emergency care", organised by the Bavarian Red Cross and the Regensburg Red Cross Foundation. Together with other experts from German-speaking countries, demands and key points were developed to promote the topic of "Prevention in pre-hospital emergency care". Other participants from Canada and Austria reported on how such prevention models have already been successfully implemented in practice.
October 2023: German Congress for Health Services Research (DKVF)
Presentation: "Summative evaluation of a participatively developed complex intervention to improve the organisational health competence of a hospital"
Poster presentation: "Smart Emergency - Rescue services newly networked! (SERNV) - a study protocol for testing 5G technologies in nursing care"
- DKVF 2023, Berlin
June 2023: Lecture at the Björn Steiger Foundation Congress "Ways to the rescue service of the future",
Lecture "Community emergency paramedics - a relief for the overburdened emergency care", Würzburg
May 2023: Lecture SmED-Conference Berlin (ZI)
Joint lecture with Frank Leenderts (Managing Director of the Oldenburger Land large-scale control centre) on "Dispatching the community emergency paramedic". Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, Berlin.
May 2023: Poster & Lecture DGINA 2023
Poster 1 & short presentation: Utilisation of emergency care in north-west Germany - differences according to age, gender, education and medical/nursing occupation.
Poster 2: Increasing use of emergency medical services: Solution approach patient survey - but what if the patients are not able to participate?
- Annual conference of the German Society for Interdisciplinary Emergency and Acute Medicine, Bielefeld
April 2023: Visit from Groningen
In mid-April, a study trip by managers attending the part-timeMaster of Business Administrationdegree programme at the University of Groningen Business School took them to University Medicine Oldenburg. The aim was to familiarise themselves with and discuss the differences between the Dutch and German healthcare systems. Together with Frank Leenderts (Oldenburger Land emergency control centre) and Stefan Thate (Oldenburg fire brigade), the OFNI presented the structures and special features of (regional) emergency care. It was an exciting exchange for everyone involved.
January 2023: Parliamentary Evening University Medicine Oldenburg in Hanover
The OFNI was also represented at this year's Parliamentary Evening in Hanover: Dr Insa Seeger and Stefan Thate (City of Oldenburg Fire Brigade) gave a short presentation on the exemplary cross-sector networking of stakeholders in the field of emergency care and intensive care medicine with the University of Oldenburg and highlighted possible future prospects for closer cooperation.
Read more: Parliamentary Evening of the University Medicine Oldenburg // University of Oldenburg (uol.de)
November 2022: DIVI Patient Safety Research Award goes to Oldenburg
This year's DIVI (German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine) research funding award goes to Oldenburg! The project proposal "Delirium screening with android robot patient (APR)" submitted by PD Dr Ulf Günther convinced the jury. Together with the Department of Assistance Systems and Medical Technology (Department of Health Services Research) and the Nursing Directorate of Oldenburg Hospital, the project investigated whether standardised delirium screening training for intensive care staff is possible with the help of an APR.
November 2022: Oldenburg Emergency Symposium
Lecture "Cross-sector concepts - community emergency paramedics or 116117?"; 13th Oldenburg Emergency Symposium, Oldenburg
November 2022: Symposium Medical Director Rescue Service Lower Saxony/Bremen
Lecture 1: "Utilisation of emergency care in north-west Germany - differences according to age, gender, education and medical/nursing activity".
Lecture 2: "Minesweeper - The community paramedic".
Symposium Medical Director Rescue Service Regional Association of Lower Saxony/Bremen, BremenSymposium Medical Director Rescue Service Regional Association of Lower Saxony/Bremen, Bremen
October 2022: German Congress for Health Services Research (DKVF)
Presentation "Utilisation of emergency care in north-west Germany - differences according to age, gender, education and medical/nursing activity". 21st German Congress for Health Services Research, Potsdam
September 2022: ARLT Symposium Austria
Lecture "Community emergency paramedics - an innovative resource in emergency rescue". Arlt Symposium FH St. Pölten, Austria (online)
September 2022: Gerontology and Geriatrics Congress
Lecture "Care of elderly patients by community paramedics". Gerontology and Geriatrics Congress, Frankfurt
September 2022: Capital Congress DGAI
Lecture "Outpatient emergency care in Germany - lost between the sectors... and how community paramedics can contribute to relieving the burden on emergency resources". 24th Capital Congress of the DGAI for Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Berlin
September 2022: AG Supply Strategy Schleswig-Holstein
Keynote speech "Community emergency paramedics - implementation and experiences". AG Versorgungsstrategie Rettungsdienstträger Schleswig-Holstein, Neumünster
May 2022: Symposium control centre update
Lecture "Visit me" Low-threshold emergencies - (not) our problem? Evaluation of control centre data. 9th Symposium Leitstelle aktuell, Bremerhaven
April 2022: Emergency symposium of the AGNN
Lecture "Visit me" Low-threshold emergencies - (not) our problem? Evaluation of control centre data. 13th Emergency Symposium of the AGNN (NOSTRA), Lübeck-Travemünde
September 2021: Parliamentary Evening University Medicine Oldenburg in Hanover
A presentation entitled "Community emergency paramedics (GNotSan) in the north-west - innovation! Tasks, effects?" to members of the state parliament was given by PD Dr Ulf Günther at the Parliamentary Evening of University Medicine Oldenburg in Hanover. The Nordwest-Zeitung also reported on this. "In addition to Ulf Günther (OFNI), Prof Karsten Witt, Prof Thomas Büttner (Neurology), Prof Tania Zieschang (Geriatrics) and Prof Björn Poppe (Medical Radiation Physics) also reported on the high level of research at the EMS. Two examples: The community emergency paramedic is being used successfully - with the aim of relieving the pressure on hospital emergency departments. And a network of 181 clinics ensures that patients in the north-west are admitted to hospital more quickly after a stroke than in the rest of the country."
September 2021: Closed meeting of the state rescue service committee
Lecture "Community emergency paramedics" closed meeting of the state rescue service committee, Bad Nenndorf
April 2021: Lecture German Society for Rescue Sciences
Lecture "Community emergency paramedics - an innovative concept in emergency rescue". 1st Forum Rescue Sciences, Society for the Promotion of Science in Rescue Services (online)
September 2020: Lecture University Society Oldenburg
Lecture "Outpatient emergency care in Germany - lost between the sectors", Universitätsgesellschaft Oldenburg e.V., Oldenburg
September 2020: Parliamentary Evening University Medicine Oldenburg in Hanover
At the "Parliamentary Evening" in Hanover, leading representatives of the University of Oldenburg called for the commitments for the expansion of the "European Medical School Oldenburg-Groningen" (EMS) to be honoured.
Due to the increase in medical study places at the School V - School of Medicine and Health Sciences, further research and teaching space is urgently needed for the academic training of future doctors - but also in the area of research. This also applies to the field of emergency and intensive care medicine. Dr Insa Seeger therefore gave a short statement to the members of the state parliament about the need for further infrastructure for teaching and research.
August 2020: Kick-off workshop for the ILEG project
- The kick-off workshop for the ILEG project took place on 28 August 2020. Due to the corona-related situation, the event was held as an online format. The scientists from the universities of Oldenburg, Aachen, Magdeburg and Maastricht presented their respective project contributions and the data required for them to the participating stakeholders from the control centres, emergency services and hospitals. The current status and future tasks were also discussed.
April 2020: Unbureaucratic help
The start of the coronavirus crisis in mid-March suddenly presented the Oldenburg fire service with numerous challenges. The university helped out - with an IT system, the necessary equipment and personnel.
Stefan Thate, head of the rescue service at Oldenburg's professional fire brigade, described the situation in mid-March as a "serious situation with no empirical values". The number of people infected with the new coronavirus suddenly rose sharply in Germany too. "The images and background reports from Bergamo and Strasbourg made us realise that the situation could also become difficult for us," reports Thate. At this point, the aim was to prepare Oldenburg and the surrounding area as quickly as possible to be able to care for larger numbers of patients.
It quickly became clear that the normal capacities of the rescue service were not sufficient for this task. "We immediately needed a special organisational structure and additional resources, such as support to procure protective clothing and other medical products or to better forecast the number of hospital beds required," says Thate. As a co-founder of the Oldenburg Research Network for Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine (OFNI), an association of research institutions and partners from the field, the head of operations knew where he could get additional help for these tasks: at the university.
"Many people worked together in an uncomplicated way"
The university provided support with protective clothing and laboratory materials, while the Innovation(s)campus of the Innovative University of Applied Sciences Jade Oldenburg! (IHJO) used 3D printers to produce adapters for respiratory masks. Robert Hentschke from the university's occupational safety department and Manuel Karczmarzyk from the Centre for Lifelong Learning (C3L) were always available. "Many people worked with us in an uncomplicated manner and supported us in a variety of ways. I would like to say a big thank you to everyone involved," says a delighted Thate.
February 2020: Scientific working days in emergency medicine
Lecture "The community paramedic - a useful resource for the overall emergency medical services system?" 16th Scientific Working Days Emergency Medicine of the DGAI, Kiel
December 2019: Lecture North German Anaesthesia Days (NAT)
Lecture "Community emergency paramedics - effects and characteristics of an innovative resource in emergency care". 32nd North German Anaesthesia Days Hamburg, organised by the Professional Association of German Anaesthetists.
November 2019: Lecture DGINA Congress
Lecture "Community emergency paramedics - an innovative resource in emergency rescue". 14th Annual Conference of the German Society for Interdisciplinary Emergency and Acute Medicine(DGINA), Bremen
August 2019: The Innovation Committee of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) funds the "ILEG" research project
The Innovation Committee of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) is funding the research project "ILEG - Utilisation, services and effects of the community paramedic" with 1.1 million euros. From 1 July 2020, intensive research will be carried out for two and a half years to determine how the community paramedic project proves itself in practice. The universities of Aachen, Maastricht and Magdeburg are also involved in the research project.
In addition to the community paramedic protocols, it is also planned to analyse control centre, rescue service and emergency admission register data. Patient and GP surveys are also planned. The aim is to show the changes in the utilisation of ambulance services and emergency departments as a result of the deployment of community paramedics. In addition, the further care of patients will be mapped and at the same time data on safety and quality of care will be collected and evaluated.
September 2019: Meeting with representatives of the Hanzehogeschool Groningen and other stakeholders in emergency and rescue medicine
The School V - School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Oldenburg and the Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health in Groningen have joined forces to found and establish the Cross-Border Institute of Healthcare Systems and Prevention. Both institutions attach great importance to cross-border research, as they are convinced that healthcare in the border region can be improved through networking, co-operation and exchange.
For this reason, representatives of the Oldenburg Research Network for Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine, the Hanzehogeschool Groningen and stakeholders in emergency and rescue medicine met in Groningen in mid-September to jointly develop research questions and initiate projects in the field of emergency rescue and home ventilation.
March 2019: Kick-off event of the Oldenburg Research Network for Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine
On 14 March 2019, the kick-off event of the Oldenburg Research Network for Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine took place at the School V - School of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University of Oldenburg, attended by more than 40 stakeholders from the emergency medical services, clinical emergency and intensive care medicine, intensive care, educational institutions and science.
After a brief welcome and introduction of the research network by the spokespersons Prof. Dr Andreas Weyland and Prof. Dr Rainer Röhrig, ongoing projects and research results were presented in keynote speeches:
- The concept of the community emergency paramedic: Stefan Thate, Head of Rescue Service City of Oldenburg
- 116117: Telemedical support for the on-call medical service: Nils Jacobsen, Deputy Head of the Telemedicine Centre, University Clinic for Anaesthesia (AINS), Oldenburg Hospital
- National emergency admission register AKTIN - implementation and initial results from the perspective of a model clinic: Kirsten Habbinga, Head Physician, Pius-Hospital Oldenburg Admission Centre
- Presentation of the Oldenburg-East Friesland Trauma Network: PD Dr Oliver Pieske, Chief Physician of the Clinic for Trauma Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Traumatology, Evangelical Hospital Oldenburg
- Neurological respiratory medicine in Germany - current results from healthcare research and outlook: Dr Martin Groß, Chief Physician at the Clinic for Neurological Intensive Care and Early Rehabilitation, Evangelisches Krankenhaus Oldenburg
Afterwards, possible joint research questions were developed in focus groups, support options for research projects were presented and opportunities for cooperation in education, further education and training were discussed.