Patient orientation and health education

Project management

Prof. Dr. Marie-Luise Dierks

 

Duration

01.07.2019 until 30.06.2023

 

Project sponsor

Federal Ministry of Health

 

Cooperation partner

University of Education Freiburg

 

Research assistants at the Institute

Antje Meyer

Leonard Oppermann

Lydia Schrader

 

Background of the project

With the complexity of the healthcare system and the changing role of patients, as well as the introduction of new technologies, the demands on users have also increased. Both sick and healthy people need various skills to find their way around the healthcare system. They must be able to find, understand and evaluate information and apply it to their own situation - skills that are summarized by the term health literacy (HL). Low health literacy is associated with higher health risks and poorer treatment outcomes for those affected. This can lead to negative consequences for patients. According to studies, every second person in Germany has insufficient health literacy.

 

Aims and approach

The study "Strengthening health literacy in the workplace" (GeKo-A) examines the benefits of educational programs in the workplace that aim to improve health literacy. The study develops interactive learning and hands-on wards that can be carried out by tutors, which are offered and tested as part of an open educational event lasting several hours in companies. The learning wards are designed to impart knowledge about the healthcare system, entitlements, patient rights and much more, but also to train navigation skills in the healthcare system and the Internet as well as communication aspects. As a result, the content should be available free of charge as an evaluated method kit, both analog and digital, and be accessible to as wide a public as possible.

Project management

Dr. Gabriele Seidel, Prof. Dr. Marie-Luise Dierks

 

Duration

04/2021-03/2022

Project sponsor

BAG SELBSTHILFE, NAKOS, SeKo Bayern and BARMER

Institutions

Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research, MHH

BAG SELF-HELP

NAKOS

SeKo Bavaria

 

Research associates

Kerstin Bernartz, Anabel Bornemann, Hannah van Eickels, Linda Gottschlich, Marius Hartmann, Antje Meyer, Lydia Schrader, Carolin Schwarz, Gönül Temucin

 

The aim of the participatory course program "KundiG - Klug und digital durch das Gesundheitswesen" is to promote digital health literacy. Accordingly, topics, methods and recruitment channels are being developed and tested to strengthen the digital health literacy of chronically ill and healthy people in Germany. Using interactive learning elements, participants are supported in finding, understanding, critically evaluating and, if necessary, using digital health information, services and applications.

The participatory project is being carried out in cooperation with BARMER, BAG Selbsthilfe e.V. (Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Selbsthilfe von Menschen mit Behinderung, chronischer Erkrankung und ihren Angehörigen), NAKOS (Nationale Kontakt- und Informationsstelle zur Anregung und Unterstützung von Selbsthilfegruppen), SeKo Bayern (Selbsthilfekoordination Bayern e.V.) and the Patientenuniversität an der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover.

Over the course of a one-year pilot phase, topics, methods, recruitment channels and materials will be developed and tested in several cycles on the basis of 8 courses to increase digital health literacy, each with 8-12 participants. 3 courses were offered in autumn 2021 for people with chronic illnesses, a further 5 courses will follow in spring 2022. The accompanying evaluation serves to review and adapt the content to the needs and requirements of the target groups. The results can serve as a basis for the concept of a nationwide roll-out, manualization and multiplier training from 2022.

Project management

Prof. Dr. Marie-Luise Dierks

Project sponsor

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Duration

2016 - 2019

Cooperation partner:

Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V.
Peter L. Reichertz Institute of Medical Informatics University Hospital Halle (Saale) UKH
Hannover Medical School
Fraunhofer IAO
oldntec
neusta

Research Associate

Ronny Klawunn

Over the course of their lives, many people find themselves in a situation where they need to be cared for or provide Nursing care. In most cases, this involves Nursing in the family environment. Relatives are often confronted with this situation as lay carers. This creates uncertainties that are accompanied by high levels of physical and psychological stress. The MoCaB project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for this purpose. It addresses the support of family caregivers in difficult home care situations that can occur, for example, when caring for family members with dementia.

The project focuses on a technical development, a so-called mobile assistance system, which supports family caregivers by providing situation- and target group-specific care knowledge. In addition, mobile sensors can be used to record relevant data from everyday life, e.g. to determine position.

The system enables permanent and intuitive support for family caregivers to prevent crises and in acute situations. The focus is on the well-being of the carer and the person in need of care. The decision-making and intervention aids on site are supplemented by low-threshold access to professional support.

MoCaB thus represents a new interface between professional and informal caregivers. By using modern information and communications technologies as well as assistive health technologies, new ways of cooperation and interaction between people, technology and organization are created.

Further information on the project can be found at MoCaB - Together through innovation (interaktive-technologien.de)

 

Patient competence in allergic diseases of the atopic spectrum - a randomized controlled study on the effectiveness of a newly developed web-based service for mild to moderately severely affected people

 

Objective

With the help of an internet-based intervention, we would like to strengthen the allergy-specific health literacy of those affected. First and foremost, we want to increase knowledge of the disease and treatment for people with allergic diseases. Furthermore, we want to strengthen the competence of those affected and increase their ability to treat their allergies well and correctly themselves. We hope that this will also improve the health-related quality of life of those affected.

Background

Around 30% of adults in Germany suffer from at least one allergy [1]. A large proportion of these are atopic-type diseases (ATOP), such as allergic asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis and food allergies associated with atopic diseases.

Those affected have a range of effective, non-prescription therapies at their disposal. They therefore have very good opportunities to control their symptoms themselves, even without continuous (specialist) medical care. It is worrying that around four out of ten people affected do not treat themselves with freely available medication or use allergen avoidance strategies, despite their troublesome symptoms [2].

In order to improve this situation, we are developing a didactically sound, web-based intervention with the participation of those affected. It is intended to strengthen the health literacy and self-management skills of the target group. We are investigating whether the intervention achieves these goals in a randomized controlled trial.

Method

The project is divided into three parts:
(A) Qualitative preliminary study: In a total of four focus groups and four guided individual interviews with adults with mild to moderate allergic diseases of the atopic spectrum, we collect detailed information on previous experiences, prior knowledge and needs.

(B) Development of the intervention: Based on the findings of the qualitative preliminary study and a systematic compilation of existing knowledge on disease-specific, didactic and e-learning-specific aspects, five learning modules are expected to be developed.

A user group (approx. n=15 members of the target group) will accompany the development of the intervention and test the learning modules in advance with regard to acceptance, satisfaction with the content and feasibility.

(C) Main study - evaluation of the effectiveness of the intervention: The effectiveness of the internet-based offer will be tested in a randomized, prospective control group design (n=300 per intervention and control group). Data will be collected as part of a standardized online survey after 4, 12 and 24 weeks (mid-end of 2018).

Project management

The project is managed by Prof. Dr. Eva-Maria Bitzer in the Public Health & Health Education department at the Freiburg University of Education (https://www.ph-freiburg.de/institut-fuer-alltagskultur-bewegung-und-gesundheit/fachrichtungen/gesundheitspaedagogik.html).

Project participants PH Freiburg

Prof. Dr. Ulrike Spörhase, Institute of Biology and Didactics, (spoerhas@ph-freiburg.de)
Karin Drixler, Department of Public Health & Health Education (karin.drixler@ph-freiburg.de).

Other project locations and participants

University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing Professions (IVDP)
Dr. rer. pol. Ines Schäfer (ines.schaefer@uke.de)

Hannover Medical School
Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research
Prof. Dr. Marie-Luise Dierks (dierks.marie-luise@mh-hannover.de)
Collaboration: Jonas Lander (lander.jonas@mh-hannover.de)

University Carl-Gustav Carus Dresden
Center for Evidence-Based Health Care
Prof. Dr. med. Jochen Schmitt (jochen.schmitt@uniklinikum-dresden.de)
Dipl.-Soz. Edwin Luntz (edwin.luntz@uniklinikum-dresden.de)

Funding

The PAKO-ATOP project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Health.

Funding reference number: ZMV I 1 -2517 FSB 004

References

Langen U, Schmitz R, Steppuhn H (2013). Frequency of allergic diseases in Germany. Federal Health Gazette: 56(5-6): 698-706.

Augustin M, Franzke N, Beikert FC et al. (2013) Allergies in Germany -- prevalence and perception by the public. Journal of the German Dermatological Society: JDDG 11(6): 514-520.

Project management at the Institute

Prof. Dr. Marie-Luise Dierks

Research assistants

Ronny Klawunn
Hannah van Eickels
Deliah Katzmarzyk

Project sponsor

BMBF

Duration

2018 - 03/2024

Consortium partners

Management Nursing of the MHH; Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research (MHH); Peter L. Reichertz Institute of Medical Informatics of the TU Braunschweig and Hannover Medical School; Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Department of Social Informatics, Department of Social Work; Ergo-Tec GmbH

Background and objectives

Modern Nursing is a multi-faceted field of work with increasing work intensification, which requires a high level of competence and commitment from nursing staff. Technical solutions can help to improve work processes in day-to-day care and create more freedom for individual patient care.

The aim of the BMBF-funded project Pflegepraxiszentrum Hannover (duration 2018-2024) is to establish a future-proof ward in which technical innovations are used to support nursing staff and improve patient care. The selection and introduction of technological innovations is carried out in a participatory manner, i.e. together with the nursing staff.

You can find more information at: www.cluster-zukunft-der-pflege.de and www.ppz-hannover.de

 

Project management

Dr. Gabriele Seidel, Prof. Dr. Marie-Luise Dierks

Project sponsor

Robert Bosch Foundation

Project duration

10/2014 - 04/202

Institutions

Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research, MHH
Careum / Switzerland (EVIVO network)
SeKo Bayern

Research associates

Marius Hartmann, Gönül Temucin

The project is a further specification of the self-management program "Healthy and Active Living" (INSEA), which has been funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung since 2015 and is aimed at chronically ill people and their relatives. The participants to date have predominantly been from an educational background; people with a migration background are hardly represented. However, it is the vulnerable groups in particular who are likely to benefit most from supportive measures. For this reason, the INSEA course program is to be tested among educationally disadvantaged groups of chronically ill people with and without a migration background in Germany in order to promote health literacy, equal opportunities and integration among this group of people. Three objectives are therefore being pursued:
Strategies and information channels will be identified and reviewed in order to inform vulnerable groups of people about the "Healthy and Active Living" courses and to provide them with barrier-free access to the program. The aim is for this group of people to increase their self-management skills to cope with their chronic illness.
To this end, a network of relevant stakeholders in migration and integration work as well as organizations from the health and social sectors will be established. These actors will act as multipliers to help locate and implement access routes to people with and without a migration background who are chronically ill but lack education.
At the same time, the extent to which the "Healthy and active living" course is suitable for the target group, which beneficial elements the course contains, which course activities reveal barriers and/or need to be adapted to the needs of the target group will be examined.