Effectiveness research in care and therapy

Research focus: Effectiveness research in care and therapy

The research focus ‘Effectiveness research in care and therapy’ at the University of Applied Sciences for Health Professions Upper Austria is dedicated to the scientific investigation of measures carried out by health professions – especially in the areas of midwifery, diagnostics, nursing and therapy. The focus is on the question of nursing, therapeutic, diagnostic or midwifery-specific benefits, for example in terms of effect, sustainability or quality under real care conditions – with the aim of promoting individual health, quality of life and participation.

Focus

The research focuses on the entire care process: from the selection and application of suitable assessment tools, through clinical decision-making, to the planning, implementation and evaluation of interventions. Technological support such as digital applications, assistance systems, artificial intelligence and apps are also included. Such technologies have the potential to relieve the burden on healthcare professionals in the long term – provided their effectiveness is scientifically proven.

The research is conducted in various care settings – from acute care and long-term care to mobile care in the home environment or in primary care. Preventive measures are also taken into account. Methods such as implementation research, evidence synthesis, clinical research, registry research and participatory research are used for analysis. In addition to immediate effects, aspects such as sustainability, process quality, patient centricity and health economic relevance are also comprehensively considered.

Objective

A key concern is evidence-based practice in the health professions: research provides sound findings that help professionals base their decisions on scientifically proven principles and continuously improve care. It contributes to creating and further developing evidence-based principles for daily practice.