Science and healthcare practice are closely interlinked in a new competence center.
Here's to a good partnership: Lower Saxony's AOK head Dr. Jürgen Peter and MHH President Prof. Dr. Dr. Denise Hilfiker-Kleiner sign the agreement. Copyright: Karin Kaiser/MHH
Hannover Medical School (MHH) and AOK Niedersachsen will intensify their cooperation in research in the future. The aim of the cooperation is to promote the health of the population throughout Lower Saxony and to secure and further develop care on a scientifically sound basis. To this end, the AOK will become a cooperation partner in the newly founded "Competence Center for Public Health, Primary Health Care and Health Services Research" at the MHH.
"Through the close connection between university research, teaching and a large statutory health insurance company, we can systematically transfer scientific findings into healthcare practice," says MHH President Prof. Dr. Dr. Denise Hilfiker-Kleiner. "With the new competence center, the MHH is following the recommendation of the Science Council that university medicine should play an even stronger role in the regional and supra-regional organization of healthcare in the future. I am delighted that, following the Public Health Service of the Hannover Region, the AOK Lower Saxony has now also signed the declaration of intent to network in our competence center."
Sustainably improving people's health
Dr. Jürgen Peter, Chairman of the Board of AOK Niedersachsen: "MHH and AOK are pursuing the common goal of sustainably improving the health of people in Lower Saxony through innovative approaches to care. By working together, two key players in the healthcare sector can systematically interlink research, teaching and care. A particular focus of the collaboration is on the areas of public health, prevention, primary health care and health services research."
Focus on health services research and prevention
The AOK Niedersachsen contributes its expertise in the analysis of care data, the development of innovative care concepts and prevention work. The MHH complements this with its scientific expertise and its role in the training of future physicians and health scientists. The aim is to jointly develop and test new concepts for improving the quality of care, strengthening cross-sector cooperation and promoting equal health opportunities.
The focus is on the systematic transfer of scientific findings into healthcare practice. At the same time, practical issues from everyday healthcare are to be integrated into MHH research and teaching concepts at an early stage. This will create a bidirectional transfer of knowledge between science and health insurance. With the signed declaration of intent, both institutions are creating the basis for a long-term strategic partnership from which concrete projects and innovative approaches to care are to emerge.
Text: Administrative Unit Communications / AOK