Prioritized topics 2018-20019
Prioritized topics 2018-2019
Prioritized topics 2018-2019
Public health
Public health is about the health status of the population and how systematic measures can improve peoples’ health. Public health includes population health, health promotion, prevention, municipal health services and health technology. The effect of prevention through physical activity and healthy habits is well known. Even with this knowledge, it is hard to make the right choice. So how can each individual make the healthiest choices? How could our neighbourhoods be organized so it promotes better health?
NTNU has excellent research groups studying health data and physical activity, and making use of the interdisciplinary potential within the university is a great contributor to research on public health. The importance of different methodological and theoretical approaches to public health is especially highlighted in NTNU Health’s priorities. Architecture, arts and design play an important role in to test interventions in the physical domain as part of the research.
Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineering (BME) is about using technological principles and research design within medicine and biology to strengthen diagnostics, monitoring and treatment. The advancements in biomedical engineering is closely related to technological developments. At NTNU, we have a strong tradition to contribute to these developments, like the case for the microbeads and dynabeads by Ugelstad. They are used to model physical processes in biotechnology and may be used in diagnostics and treatment of cancer by isolating cells, DNA, mRNA or to measure proteins. The research groups on ultrasound technology at NTNU is also well renowned. Their contribution to the integration of CT and Doppler ultrasound together with mathematical models to predict heart disease is methods designed for the future. Biomedical engineering is crucial in developing new treatments and diagnostics to reduce cost and make treatment available to the public.
NTNU has several excellent research groups in natural sciences and technology. Further developments of advanced technologies used in medicine and biology would make a comparative advantage for NTNU
Health systems and their organization
The need for knowledge about an ever-changing health system is huge. Research related to how social factors, financing, availability, services, resource allocation, regulations and organization affects health is important. Knowing how to lead, finance and deliver health services is vital to secure a good and sustainable health system. Other important research topics within this field is empowerment, communication, interdisciplinarity and efficient patient flow through different levels of the service.
The need for increased policy learning has become wore evident as more European countries has made large organizational changes to their health systems. To understand and evaluate these changes the need for international collaboration is evident. Factor as an ageing population, empowered patients and increasing cost stress the need to understand the effect different policies have on public health. There is an apparent need for national and international comparative analyses.
Digitalization of health
Effective and cost reducing digital technology are gradually used more to achieve better quality and increased patient security in the future. To ensure the quality and sustainability of today’s health services digitalization of health is an important step forward.
The amount of health data has grown enormously, analysis of these data could contribute to improved service quality and there is an obvious incentive for interdisciplinary work to advance in this area. Informatics, medicine and social sciences needs to collaborate on this. NTNU Health aims to continue the established collaboration with Helseplattformen, in order to strengthen research and knowledge transfer. The increasing possibilities to link sensors and medical equipment in an Internet of Things (IoT) network enables us to analyse different data streams in real-time to support the development of treatment and diagnostics.