Department of Regional Health Research Faculty of Health Sciences - University of Southern Denmark
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Department of Regional Health Research Faculty of Health Sciences - University of Southern Denmark The focus of Department of Regional Health Research, Region of Southern Denmark, and Region Zealand is on cooperating to create the best possible conditions for research and education. 1 Successful research environments with open doors With just 11 years of history, Department of Regional Health Research (IRS) is a relatively “The research in IRS is aimed at the treatment new yet, already unconditional success of the person as a whole and at the more experiencing growth in number of employees, publications and co-operations across hospitals, common diseases” professional groups, institutions and national borders. University partner for regional innovations. IRS is based on accomplished hospitals professionals all working towards improving The research in IRS is directed towards the man’s health and creating value for patients, person as a whole and towards the more citizens and the community by means of synergy common diseases. IRS reaches out beyond the and high professional and ethical standards. traditional approach to research and focusses on We largely focus on the good working the interdisciplinary and intersectoral approach. environment, equal rights and job satisfaction IRS makes up the university partner and among our employees. We make sure constantly organisational frame for clinical research and to support the delicate balance between clinical education at hospitals in Region of Southern work, research and teaching. Denmark* and Region Zealand**. Supports research and education Many land registers – great IRS continues working towards strengthening geographical spread research and education and towards bringing the There is a great geographical spread between the department and the researchers closer together hospitals, but research environments and in the future. The hospitals in Region of Southern professional competencies are in terms of Denmark are from the year 2019 acknowledged organisation connected by IRS. Hence, the as being Southern Danish University Hospitals department is not just one building and not just and medical training (the master’s programme) one location; it is a community with access to in Esbjerg will soon become a reality. We one another’s research competencies and continue doing research and education where the supporting infrastructure. The doors between patients are. researchers, students and employees are always On the following pages you open – and this also applies to the door to my can read more about how we office. create research and education of high quality across the board. International aim The geographical spread is also internationally Enjoy the reading. applied since IRS attracts acknowledged Rikke Leth-Larsen, Head of professors who are hired or adjunct at the Department, Department of department. This increases both the knowledge, Regional Health Research the visibility and the professional level at IRS January 2019 which is inspiring to everyone and creates a breeding ground for professional results and *With the exception of OUH and the Psychiatry in Odense which organisationally belongs to Department of Clinical Research. ** The hospitals in Region Zealand has researchers at all universities but primarily at University of Southern Denmark (SDU) and at University of Copenhagen (KU). 2 Internationalisation IRS also looks to the international world of research where the professional results are published and acknowledged. High-profile Hospitals affiliated to IRS foreign professors are attached to IRS as adjunct • Hospital of South West Jutland professors. They are connected to research • Lillebælt Hospital projects at IRS, they teach • Hospital of Southern Jutland and frequently visit Denmark. This evidently is a seal of • Danish Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases approval of IRS’s work and • Mental Health Services in Region of results within research and Southern Denmark education. • The Epilepsy-hospital Filadelfia • Holbæk Hospital • Nykøbing Falster Hospital • Næstved – Slagelse – Ringsted Hospitals • Psychiatry Region Zealand • Zealand University Hospital • Region of Southern Denmark – Prehospital Area 3 Research and interdisciplinary and cross-sectional cooperation create brand new results Supports research in relation to the ”We believe that interdisciplinary research person as a whole communities can create synergy benefitting IRS supports research in relation to the person research as well as the person-centred treatment as a whole, the good life and the more common and care” diseases. IRS makes out a platform for scientists and educators and builds a bridge between University of Southern Denmark, Region of Southern Denmark, Region Zealand, the hospitals in the two regions and the patient. In IRS, we work focusing on the continuity of term need to have an increased focus on the patient care across sectors, hospitals and balance between growth and consolidation. In specialist fields. the future, we will engage in enhancing the visibility internally and externally so that we, to a Cross-sectional research communities greater extent, can utilize the potential of create synergy diversity in our research. The responsibility for We believe that cross-disciplinary research quality, relevance, differentiation and communities can create synergy benefitting sustainability lies both in the hands of the single research as well as the person-centred treatment scientist and educator and on an overall and care. organisational level. We want IRS to be a department which one is proudly associated with Strong construction with a dedicated and which one refers to both nationally and network of broad professionalism and internationally. At IRS, there is a short distance between words and action and a will to change. competence IRS is a strong and unusual construction with a We can and will see all of the relatively short history (starting in 2007). We are a network of dedicated people offering a diversity continuity of patient care and include of professionalisms and competences which different perspectives reaches across the well-established research- The citizens of our community are various. This environments. We cultivate relations and create is exactly why we need to look at continuity of space for involvement, responsiveness and the patient care from various perspectives. In IRS, will to change. we bring together SDU’s strategy Well-established research scientists, utilizing the environments help along budding -It’s about doing something synergy in research environments worth doing, for society, with the IRS cultivates sustainability in such a way that society dissimilarities the well-established research-environments - It’s about enabling every and engage facilitate and support new and aspiring research talent while encouraging the in the environments and connects it all in a network. exceptional positive - It´s about breaking through We are aware of the importance of supporting environment boundaries and shaping the local needs and cultural development but also of of growth and future the fact that inspiration and cooperation is in necessary on a broader scale nationally as well unexpected The outer pointers are: The as internationally. innovations. core task must create value for Supporting and with society. Increased focus on visibility and these The inner pointers are: The balance between growth and innovations is core task must be characterized by quality, consolidation the relevance, differentiation and department’s IRS is a brick-less, growing department with lots sustainability. of enterprising staff members which is most task. positive but also demands that we in the long 4 5 The following interviews are just two examples of how researchers at IRS collaborate across – professionally and sectorial, the patient being the centre of attention Cross-sectoral knowledge sharing between scientists, regions, municipalities and doctors improves conditions for the elderly By means of four PhD-theses a project in South cross-sectoral cooperation is exactly what IRS Jutland seeks to examine which factors come into emphasizes the importance of. Additionally, the play in the treatment of elderly, weakened acute cooperation between scientists is strengthened patients. along with the opportunity to network. “Many parties are involved in the treatment of At the Forefront of Older Peoples’ the individual elderly patient – from doctors and hospitals to the home care, regions and Care municipalities. When a change between sectors The project “At the Forefront of Older Peoples’ takes place, for instance from hospital to home Care” within the framework of IRS is carried out care, there is a risk that knowledge is lost”, concretely in both a cross-sectoral and an Christian Backer Mogensen explains. He adds interdisciplinary cooperation between region, that four PhD-projects with an interdisciplinary municipalities, doctors and patients, who are approach to what ensures synergy, holistic view actively using the PhD-theses’ continuous data in and new insights, seek to make out what goes on order to improve the conditions for elderly in the different sectors and in connection with patients. changes between sectors. Clinical Professor Christian Backer Mogensen is consultant and Head of Research at Emergency Medicine at IRS-Center Southern Jutland and has Involvement of a very large cross- initiated the research project whose purpose is to sectorial area examine what obstacles can be put into