Christine Gustafsson

I am a registered nurse, registered nurse teacher, and, since 2022, a professor in Health Care Science at Sophiahemmet University. I have more than 20 years of experience working in academia, with a research interest, especially in the interdisciplinary field of health and welfare technology (HWT) from a user perspective. This involves researching the values and benefits that various users can derive from using HWT.

There are high expectations regarding how HWT should lead to various improvements, but there is sparse research demonstrating whether this is indeed the case. For example, there are high expectations that HWT should support older adults, enabling them to live with prolonged independence and healthy aging in their own homes with enhanced safety and security. My main research interest lies in contributing to the understanding of these expectations.

During my academic career, I have led approximately 10 different research projects, such as ORIENT, HV3D, and NURED, primarily in the area of HWT. Additionally, I have been a leader in projects related to the care of people with intellectual disabilities, where I have played a significant role in developing a theory-based working method: the Pedagogical attitude, approach, and work (PFA).

Ongoing Research Projects in 2024:

• Commissioned research in the iHACT project (Integrated care and care at a distance) in collaboration with Rural medicine centrum and the Nordic Welfare Center.
• PROTECT: Proactive health and welfare technology for Nordic users and societies.
• IN-AGE: Independence when aging in place and an instrument to evaluate independence supported by health and welfare technology innovations, includes PhD Student Maria Hansson. IN-AGE is co-funded by Eskilstuna municipality and Sophia hemmet intresseförening.
• UPSCALE: The project (Unfolding the processes between user needs and health and welfare technology in socio-technical transition of health and care services) tackles the organizing of future health and care services with the help of health and welfare technology. The project  onto the systemic nature of health and care services, by applying the socio-technical transitions approach to examining the organization of health and care services with the help of health and welfare technology. The three-year project started on 1 May 2024. https://www.projectupscale.eu/