The main goals of Health Services Research are to identify the most effective ways to organize, manage, finance, and deliver high quality care; reduce medical errors; and improve patient outcomes and safety.
The studies at the Health Services Research Unit (HØKH) at Akershus University Hospital range from studies using large patient registries or electronic patient journals studies, to studies based on surveys, interviews or focus groups.
Some projects consist of numerous sub-studies and involve several PhD and postdoctoral positions, while others are smaller and involve individual researchers.
About our research
Health Services Research integrates epidemiological, sociological, economic, and other analytic sciences.
The theoretical basis and methodological approach for each of our studies is determined by the problem to be elucidated and the research questions posed. This often requires research designs that integrate qualitative and quantitative approaches.
About the group
HØKH has 35 researchers of whom 8 are in permanent full-time positions. Currently we have 12 PhD or postdoc candidates on temporary contracts funded through external grants. The remaining 15 staff holds part-time positions and have their main post in the clinic or an academic position at UiO or OsloMet.
The academic backgrounds of our staff include psychology, medicine, neurology, internal medicine, physiotherapy, chiropractic, nursing, epidemiology, sociology, social anthropology, gender theory, political science, economics, statistics, mathematics, computer science, and information technology.
In addition to conducting research, HØKH researchers provide statistical and methodological support for researchers at Ahus.
Projects and publications
The number of international, peer-reviewed articles published has increased steadily since HØKH was established in 2005, totaling 90 in 2022. With our current level of staffing, our annual output goals are to publish 70-80 scientific articles and for 2-3 PhD candidates to successfully defend their theses.
In the column on the right hand side, a brief description of current studies anchored in the unit can be found. Each year we list our published articles and describe completed PhD-projects in our annual report.
Collaboration
Collaboration is a vital aspect of the Health Services Research Unit’s work, and we actively collaborate with researchers nationally and internationally, particularly regarding topics areas and research methods that complement our areas of focus.
User panel
The Health Services Research Unit maintains a permanent user panel that actively participates in the research process. This includes involvement in setting inclusion criteria, ethical considerations, questionnaire testing, and interpretation of results.
Knowledge transfer to practice and policy is crucial in health services research, and the user panel is involved in sharing and disseminating research findings.
National networks
Since 2013, the unit coordinates the Norwegian Network for Health Services Research. A main activity of the Network is to organize national conferences that bring together researchers and policymakers at different levels. As such, the network serves as a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration in the field of Health Services Research in Norway.
Funding
In 2022, the Health Services Research Unit had a budget of approximately 30 million NOK, with competitive external funding contributing around 50% of the total amount.
The Research Council of Norway (RCN) has been the most significant external funding source over the years, providing 9.1 million NOK in grants to HØKH in 2022.
The South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority also provided 3.6 million NOK in funding for the same period.