Caroline Wachtler's research
My research focuses on developing, testing, and implementing complex interventions to improve primary care for older adults with multiple chronic conditions and mental health challenges.
Research focus
Through a person-centered and collaborative approach, I aim to enhance the proactivity, continuity, and quality of care. I have specific expertise in qualitative methodology and research on complex interventions, which has led to several national and international collaborations. I serve as principal investigator for multiple research projects, including the Aging in Balance Co-design Project, which builds on several years of qualitative studies and a pilot trial. I have also contributed as a co-investigator in intervention studies, co-design projects, validation studies, and population-based cohort studies.
Current research activities
As principal investigator (PI):
- LUST – Joy of Life, Arousal, Sexual Health, and Security: Development and pilot testing of a complex intervention
- Aging in Balance Co-design Project (ABC): Co-design, pilot testing, and evaluation of a working method
As co-investigator:
- KOMPASS Project: Participatory action research with case studies and Delphi design
- MIRACLE-S – Multimorbidity Integrated Registry Across Care Levels in Stockholm: Population-based cohort study in Region Stockholm
- Health Assessment Tool (HAT): Validation and feasibility study in primary care
- Multimorbidity and Benzodiazepine Prescribing: Population-based cohort study in Region Stockholm
- Person-Centered Care for Frail Older Adults at Home: Development and pilot testing of an intervention
- Acute Care for Older Adults with Multiple Conditions: Mixed-methods study
Contact
Collaborators and researchers
I collaborate extensively within and beyond my department. At the Division of Family Medicin and Primary Care, I work closely with Axel C. Carlsson, Maria Flink, and Katharina Schmidt-Mende on projects focusing on multimorbidity, co-design, and complex interventions in primary care. I also collaborate with Amaia Calderón Larrañaga at ARC on health monitoring and preventive strategies for older adults.
Internationally, I maintain research partnerships with Viktor Montori at the Mayo Clinic, USA, focusing on shared decision-making and minimally disruptive medicine, and Jane Gunn at the University of Melbourne, Australia, on primary care interventions for multimorbidity and mental health.
In addition to research collaborations, I am actively engaged in doctoral education. I serve as main supervisor for two PhD students, Emmanouil Kokoroskos and Klas Ytterbrink Norderskiöld, and as co-supervisor for two others, Jonna Hybelius and Märta Ihredahl.
Funding
Primary applicant:
- Region Stockholm – ALF Higher Clinical Researcher
- Region Stockholm – NSV Project Grant
- Region Stockholm – Research Residency Projects
- DokPrim Research Funding
Co-applicant:
- Forte
- Swedish Research Council
- Region Stockholm – ALF Medicin
- Region Stockholm – NSV Project Grant
Selected publications
(In press) "So I call myself healthy": A Qualitative Study on Health Perceptions and Healthcare Experiences in Older Adults with Multimorbidity."
Ytterbrink Nordenskiöld K, Sandlund C, Kappelin C, Norman K, Wachtler C.
BMC Primary Care
(In press) The Health and Life in Balance intervention to improve patient capacity for older people with multimorbidity: A pragmatic mixed methods non- randomised pilot study.
KappelinC, Ytterbrink Nordenskiöld K, Bos Sparén E, Lagerin A, Wachtler C. T
BMC Primary Care
"Returning to the core tasks": a qualitative interview study about how general practitioners in home health care solved problems during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wachtler C, Bergqvist M, Holmgren K, Mannheimer S, Bastholm-Rahmner P, Schmidt-Mende K
Scand J Prim Health Care 2024 Mar;42(1):91-100
Dancing with the patient: a qualitative study of general practitioners' experiences of managing patients with multimorbidity and common mental health problems.
Kappelin C, Sandlund C, Westman J, Wachtler C
BMC Prim Care 2023 Apr;24(1):104
Matching depression management to severity prognosis in primary care: results of the Target-D randomised controlled trial.
Fletcher S, Chondros P, Densley K, Murray E, Dowrick C, Coe A, Hegarty K, Davidson S, Wachtler C, Mihalopoulos C, Lee YY, Chatterton ML, Palmer VJ, Gunn J
Br J Gen Pract 2021 ;71(703):e85-e94
Specific content for collaborative care: a systematic review of collaborative care interventions for patients with multimorbidity involving depression and/or anxiety in primary care.
Kappelin C, Carlsson AC, Wachtler C
Fam Pract 2022 Jul;39(4):725-734
A One-Session Treatment of PTSD After Single Sexual Assault Trauma. A Pilot Study of the WONSA MLI Project: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Rajan G, Wachtler C, Lee S, Wändell P, Philips B, Wahlström L, Svedin CG, Carlsson AC
J Interpers Violence 2022 May;37(9-10):NP6582-NP6603
Patient and provider perspectives on reducing risk of harm in primary health care: a qualitative questionnaire study in Sweden.
Fernholm R, Holzmann MJ, Malm-Willadsen K, Härenstam KP, Carlsson AC, Nilsson GH, Wachtler C
Scand J Prim Health Care 2020 Mar;38(1):66-74
Patterns of multimorbidity and pharmacotherapy: a total population cross-sectional study.
Forslund T, Carlsson AC, Ljunggren G, Ärnlöv J, Wachtler C
Fam Pract 2021 Mar;38(2):132-140
Development of a Mobile Clinical Prediction Tool to Estimate Future Depression Severity and Guide Treatment in Primary Care: User-Centered Design.
Wachtler C, Coe A, Davidson S, Fletcher S, Mendoza A, Sterling L, Gunn J
JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2018 Apr;6(4):e95