Susanne Guidetti

Susanne Guidetti

Professor/Occupational Therapist
Telephone: +46852483735
Visiting address: Alfred Nobels Allé 23, 14183 Huddinge
Postal address: H1 Neurobiologi, vårdvetenskap och samhälle, H1 Arbetsterapi HELD, 171 77 Stockholm

About me

  • I have a position as professor at the Division for Occupational Therapy, Karolinska Institutet. I am also the group leader for the HELD research group, https://ki.se/en/nvs/the-held-research-group.

    I have experience in teaching and supervising at undergraduate, advanced and doctoral level, especially at the Occupational Therapy program. I have a dedicated international profile with various international assignments as the international coordinator of the program. I also chair the international group at NVS , whit the mission to work with the global perspective and international networks, to facilitate exchanges for students in undergraduate education. The group has its delegation order from the Education Committee (UN) and the programs appoint their representatives. The group works strategically based according to "Strategy 2030" to support the global university from a strategic point of choice. I am also an active member of KI's reference group for international affairs.

    As a program manager in the Doctoral programme in health care science (PUF-V), I am leading the work on providing a range of learning activities for doctoral students within the specific research theme of health care science and which also offers opportunities for international networking. The research area of health care science is defined from the broad perspective and includes studies of complex healthcare processes, whose methodology is found in both human and social sciences.

Research

  • My research is multidisciplinary and I am involved in several ongoing collaborations. My research line has focused on developing and evaluating complex interventions related to health promotion and prevention, interventions, education and rehabilitation in occupational therapy, as well with a broader interdisciplinary strategy. I have been inspired and used the Medical Research Council (MRC) guidelines for developing and evaluating complex interventions. I study people's experiences of daily activities and participation in everyday life and the importance of a person-centered rehabilitation. I have thus gained experience of both quantitative and qualitative methods as well as of different types of design. My experiences in this area have led to several collaborations both nationally and internationally, as well as in the role of supervisor for several doctoral students, both as a co-supervisor and as supervisor. My ongoing research in Sweden, Uganda and Denmark focuses on multidisciplinary global studies of the effects and significance of ADL interventions using information and communication technologies such as the mobile phone as support. Over time, I have developed a specific in depth competence of rehabilitation in the field of neurology. I have been involved in committed studies of implementing research results where new methods require new groundbreaking knowledge in order to provide professional productive therapeutic practice.

Teaching

  • I have a long experience in teaching and started directly after my undergraduate education to be involved and responsible for various courses in the undergraduate program. Has, among other things, taken responsibility and for several years developed the international course offering on our program. But my interest in education has, since the last few years, come to focus more on doctoral education issues, and there I am a representative in the department's (NVS) Research Education Committee (FoUK), led by the director of studies for doctoral education. Since 2018, I have had the task of being responsible for the Program for postgraduate education in healthcare science (PUF-V). The program organizes graduate training courses and arranges various activities aimed at doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows and senior researchers in order to increase scientific exchange and create new contacts. The purpose is to promote a good doctoral education environment for KI's doctoral students by creating opportunities for networking and meetings between doctoral students from different projects and institutions and by the doctoral students working with and receiving feedback on their own doctoral education projects within the framework of the program's activities. As the person in charge, I plan and lead PUF-V's steering group with responsibility for various contacts with health science researchers at KI, the Graduate School of Health Science, SFO-V and the research education committee. I have extensive experience in handling doctoral students both at KI and internationally. I have been the main supervisor until the defense of 3 doctoral students, co-supervisor for 4 doctoral students and was the supervisor for one person's licentiate degree. Currently, I am the main supervisor of 3 doctoral students and am assistant supervisor of 2 doctoral students.

Articles

All other publications

Grants

  • Re@home: Evaluation of home rehabilitation for older adults- what works for whom under what circumstances.
    FORTE
    1 November 2026 - 31 December 2028
    Research problem and specific questions Rehabilitation is fundamental to all health care, as good care and public health cannot be achieved without access to rehabilitation (WHO). Despite this, research on the effectiveness of home rehabilitation to improve older adults’ ability in performing activities of daily living (ADL) and health-related quality of life (HRQL) is scarce. This project aims to address this knowledge gap by evaluating the effects of a structured home rehabilitation intervention for older adults, called Re@home. Research questions (RQ): 1. What is the effectiveness of the Re@home in comparison to usual rehabilitation among older on a) ability in ADL performance, b) HRQL, c) care utilization, and significant others’ d) perceived caregiver burden? 2. How do older adults and significant others experience their participation in the Re@home? 3. What facilitators and barriers influence the implementation process and the outcome of the Re@home? Data and methods This is a randomised controlled cluster trial that will be conducted in Stockholm, Jönköping and Luleå reflecting differences in population, urban and rural areas, and approaches to organize home rehabilitation. The project adheres to the Medical Research C ouncil framework for complex interventions. The intervention is based on several pre-studies funded by Forte (Dnr 2021-01791)(literature review, field observations, interviews, a feasibility evaluation, a concluded in a mixed-method synthesize of data from the pre-studies). 180 participants over the age of 65 will be recruited from 12 home rehabilitation units (4 clusters /each site). The principles of Re@home consist of content (person-centred assessment and activities), strategies used to engage the older adults in a shared decision-making process, duration and context, taking the home environment into consideration. Occupational therapists and physiotherapists at the units will participate in a preparation training course and receive reminders about the intervention to ensure consistency in delivery. Primary outcome
    performance in ADL. Secondary outcomes
    HRQL, satisfaction with the intervention, use of care and social services and caregiver burden (RQ1). Interviews with the older adults and their significant others will be performed to grasp their experiences of Re@home (RQ2). Barriers and facilitators of the implementation will be evaluated with focus groups and questionnaires (RQ3). Societal relevance and utilisation Rehabilitation is vital to improve performance in ADL and HRQL. Therefore, it is central that older adults are invited to shared decision-making throughout the intervention process in line with person-centred rehabilitation and integrated care (SOU 2019:29). This project addresses the importance of scientific-based home rehabilitation interventions to improve care and social services for older adults. Effective rehabilitation reducing costs for care and social services is important given the demographic challenges, including an increasing number of people over the age of 80 with potential health issues (SoU 2016: 2). This is combined with fewer people working and contributing taxes to society, as well as the shortage of and difficulties in recruiting staff. This project will contribute to address these societal challenges, and the results can be implemented to counteract these challenges. Plan for project realization The multi-professional project group (i.e. occupational therapists, physiotherapists, social worker, nurse, an implementation scientist), are all well experienced researchers in the design used in this project. We are applying for funding (4.9 million SEK) for three years with costs mainly related to research staff, enabling staff at rehabilitation units to participate, data collection, analysis and dissemination of findings. The ongoing collaboration with rehabilitation units at all sites in the pre-studies will be further deepened, which is vital to proceed with the proposed project plan.
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2025 - 31 December 2026
    Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a leading neurodegenerative health condition in Sweden and a public health concern. Although no cure exists, functional independence and participation in society remain top priorities, and can be achieved through targeted physical activity (PA) interventions. To date, few longitudinal cohort studies have been conducted, using PA as main outcome in therapy research, partly due to the complex nature of predicting and controlling this phenomenon. To help address this knowledge gap, the overall purpose of the future long-term (ActivPARK) study is to enhance knowledge of the evolution of PA behavior, and how it is influenced beyond the disease characteristics using a broad explanatory model, in persons with PD from a diversity of settings in Sweden with the aim of prescribing tailored and personalized interventions to enhance functioning, health, and wellbeing throughout the disease progression and recommend potential health care pathway modifications. We have just established an expert group, comprising researchers, healthcare professionals, and PD organisations (including persons with PD) and reached consensus on essential priority clinical therapy research questions on PA and methodological considerations. The next phase entails performing a multicentre feasibility/pilot study, further developing and refining the research questions linked to the improved explanatory model for PA and methodology, to inform the definite larger clinical cohort study.
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 July 2023 - 30 June 2029
    Research problem and specific questions The overall aim is to develop models that support older adults´ participation in everyday activities that engage and lead to well-being where welfare technology is used to reduce the need for primary- and homecare.The needs of older adults at risk/ with frailty and significant others participating in interventions using digital technologies and what is needed for successful implementation will be studied together with the older adults, significant others, informal carer and staff.Research questions Can a prevention program using technology supporting engaging activities in everyday life reduce risk or maintain/delay the level of frailty in older adults? (project A)How can a prevention program that use technology support “Good quality, local health care “for frail older adults become a self-evident and integrated way of working as an addition to physical care within primary healthcare? (project A)Can a specialized homecare service (Reablement) using technology support older adults’ participation and engagement in everyday life while living at home? (project B)What are the needs of informal carer who provide support to older adults living with frailty at home? (project A-D)What are the systemic factors for and how can co-creation methods contribute to successful implementation of an intervention using technology directed towards older adults to improve primary care and homecare services? (project A-E)                                                                                                                                                                Data and method The interdisciplinary program is based on tested interventions using digital technology with positive effects in the context of older adult’s home. Five projects with qualitative and quantitative methods are planned. A digital platform will be used to compare data. With analyses from projects A-D, a model describing effects of implementation that can change and implement new interventions and working approaches using will be developed (project E).Relevance and utilisation In Europe, more than 1/3 of older adults &lt
    75 years live with frailty that causes functional limitations with an impact on well-being of many older adults thats lead to high costs for tax-funded care.The home is an important arena and with an increase of older adults new working models are needed. The result will generate knowledge about how to use digital solutions for preventive efforts, more efficient primary- and homecare that enable participation in everyday life of older adults and support for relatives and staff.Plan for project realisation A close collaboration between staff in Region Stockholm/Uppsala, City of Stockholm, Huddinge municipality and researchers at Karolinska Institutet, Royal Institute of Technology and Uppsala University that will work closely to a reference group of older adults, significant others, and stakeholders.
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 November 2021 - 31 October 2025
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2021 - 31 December 2023
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2021 - 31 December 2023
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2017 - 31 December 2022

Employments

  • Professor/Occupational Therapist, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, 2022-
  • Professor, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, 2020-2021

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2019
  • Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, 2008

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