ReseaRch Quality assuRance foR the futuRe a ... - Lund University

Panel 11 – medicine | health sciences
methods to be used, for example, for osteoporosis and prospective fracture
research. There are in Sweden a few strong research units in geriatric
medicine focusing partly on the same topics as geriatric medicine in Lund
(particularly Karolinska Institutet and Umeå University).
Productivity. The research group, established over 20 years ago, is
located at the Department of Community Medicine at the Medical
Research Centre in Malmö University Hospital. During the last 6 years
the unit has published about 60 papers in international scientific journals,
suggesting good productivity. The number of researchers appearing as
authors in these publications is about 50, indicating good collaboration
and very significant contribution from researchers/experts not belonging
to the small staff of geriatric medicine. Fourteen doctoral dissertations
have been completed since 1987, which means less than one per year. The
unit/division has managed to get external funding amounting to about
40 MSEK during 2003–2007.
Relevance. Given the increasing number of older adults and their numerous
health problems and need for services the research work of the unit
obviously has great social relevance, which is also reflected in the successful
applications of the results in social and health care. Most research
topics also have a high scientific relevance as judged from the perspective
of the international development of the field.
Vitality and organizational capacity. The quality of research plans and
the ability to implement plans successfully have been good.
The research profile of the unit suggests that the origin of many research
themes is related to problems where translational research is needed for
the development of services for older people. New and innovative approaches
might be obtained through a closer collaboration with the other
units and the newly formed research centres at the department working
in the near problem areas (such as CASE).
Overall grading: Good/Very good
3.11 Growing research areas
There are several initiatives for developing research in new areas, such
as autism spectrum disorders, pedagogical research, different areas of
nursing and descriptions of normal ageing of organ functions. These
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