Caroline Wachtler

Caroline Wachtler

Docent
Visiting address: Alfred Nobels Allé 23, 14183 Huddinge
Postal address: H1 Neurobiologi, vårdvetenskap och samhälle, H1 Allmänmedicin och primärvård, 171 77 Stockholm
Part of:

About me

  • My clinical work as a specialist in general practice in primary care
    (Stuvsta Primary care Center AB since 2009) informs my choice to do research
    - multimorbidity is the norm but healthcare today is often designed for one
    condition at a time, causing a problematic gap between research and
    practice. I have a special interest in the interaction between mental
    wellbeing and physical health.
    * Research Travel Grant 2013 Swedish Society of Medicine
    * The Hennerlofska Fund 2004 Swedish Society of Medicine
    * NYU Scholars Award, Deans List of Honors 1999 New York University,
    School of Arts and Sciences, New York, NY USA
    * Graduated magna cum laude 1999 New York University, School of Arts and
    Sciences, New York, NY USA
    *Doctor of Philosophy *2006
    The University of Lund (Sweden), Faculty of Medicine
    Thesis title: Cultural Discord in a Medical Context: A Challenge for
    Physicians. Supervisor: Dr Margareta Troein
    *Doctor of Medicine* 2006
    University of Lund, Sweden, Faculty of Medicine
    *Bachelor of Arts (Anthropology)*1999
    New York University, School of Arts and Sciences, New York, NY USA
    • Graduated magna cum laude
    • NYU Scholars Award, Deans List of Honors

Research

  • My primary care research aims to understand and improve the health of
    individuals with multiple chronic conditions in primary care from a
    patient-centered perspective. I apply both qualitative and quantitative
    methodologies in my work and strive to do research that has a practical
    clinical application that is meaningful and useful for the people affected by
    it. During my post-doctoral fellowship, I led the user-centred design of a
    complex intervention for a new model of depression care in primary care,
    using the Medical Research Council framework as a guide. This intervention
    has now been tested in a trial for which I contributed to design. My
    continuing research here in Sweden includes the current development and
    piloting of an intervention to improve wellbeing for individuals with
    multimorbidity and common mental conditions in primary care. I am also
    involved in the design and evaluation of several trials of complex
    interventions.
    *Publications of interest*
    1) Fletcher S, Chondros P, Densley K, Murray E, Dowrick C, Coe A, Hegarty K,
    Davidson S, *Wachtler C*, Mihalopoulos C, Lee Y, Chatterton M, Palmer VJ.
    PhD, Gunn J. Matching depression management to severity prognosis in
    primary care: Results of the Target-D randomised controlled trial.
    British Journal of General Practice. 11 January 2021.*
    DOI:* https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2020.0783
    2) Fernholm R, *Wachtler C, *Malm-Willadsen K, * *Holzmann MJ, Carlsson AC,
    Nilsson GH, Pukk Härenstam K. Validation and initial results of surveys
    exploring perspectives on risks and solutions for diagnostic and
    medication errors in primary care in Sweden. Scandinavian Journal of
    Primary Health Care, DOI: 10.1080/02813432.2020.1841531 [1].
    3) Rajan G, *Wachtler C*, Lee S, Wändell P, Philips B, Wahlström L, Carl
    Göran Svedin CG, Carlsson AC. A one session treatment of PTSD after
    single sexual assault trauma. A pilot study of the WONSA MLI project: a
    randomized controlled trial. J Interpers Violence. 2020.
    DOI: 10.1177/0886260520965973 [2]
    4) Forslund T, Carlsson AC, Ljunggren G, Ärnlöv J, *Wachtler C*. Patterns
    of multimorbidity and pharmacotherapy: A total population
    cross-sectional study. Fam Pract. 2020. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmaa056.
    5) Fernholm R, Holzmann MJ, *Wachtler C, *Szulkin R, Carlsson AC, Pukk
    Härenstam K. Patient-related factors associated with an increased risk
    of being a reported case of preventable harm in first-line health care: a
    case-control study. BMC Fam Pract 21, 20 (2020).
    https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-020-1087-4 [3]
    6) Fernholm R, Holzmann MJ, Malm-Willadsen K, Pukk Härenstam K, Carlsson
    AC, Nilsson GH, *Wachtler C.* Patient and provider perspectives on
    reducing risk of harm in primary health care: a qualitative questionnaire
    study in Sweden, Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, 2020 DOI:
    10.1080/02813432.2020.1717095
    7) Fernholm R, Pukk Härenstam K, *Wachtler C*, Nilsson GH, Holzmann MJ,
    Carlsson AC. Diagnostic errors reported in primary healthcare and
    emergency departments: A retrospective and descriptive cohort study of
    4830 reported cases of preventable harm in Sweden. [4] Eur J Gen Pract.
    2019 Jul
  • 25(3):128-135. doi: 10.1080/13814788.2019.1625886. Epub 2019 Jul
    1.
    8) Ruge T, Malmer G, *Wachtler C*, Ekelund U, Westerlund E, Svensson P,
    Carlsson Age is associated with increased mortality in the RETTS-A triage
    scale. [5] AC.BMC Geriatr. 2019 May 23
  • 19(1):139. doi:
    10.1186/s12877-019-1157-4. PMID: 31122186.
    9) *Wachtler C*, Coe A, Davidson S, Fletcher S, Mendoza A, Sterling L, Gunn
    J. Development of a Mobile Clinical Prediction Tool to Estimate Future
    Depression Severity and Guide Treatment in Primary Care: User-Centered
    Design. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2018
  • 6(4):e95. URL:
    http://mhealth.jmir.org/2018/4/e95 [6]
  • DOI: 10.2196/mhealth.9502
  • PMID:
    29685864.
    10) Gunn J, *Wachtler C*, Fletcher S, et al. Target-D: a stratified
    individually randomized controlled trial of the /diamond/ clinical
    prediction tool to triage and target treatment for depressive symptoms
    in general practice: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
    /Trials/. 2017
  • 18:342. doi:10.1186/s13063-017-2089-y.
    11) Davidson S, Harris M, Dowrick C, *Wachtler C*, Pirkis J, Gunn J. Mental
    health interventions and future major depression among primary care
    patients with subthreshold depression. J of Affective Disorders. 2015
    May 15
  • 177:65. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2015.02.014 [7]
    12) Liberg B, Klauser P, Harding IH, Adler M, Rahm C, Lundberg J, Masterman
    T, *Wachtler C*, Jonsson T, Kristoffersen-Wiberg M, Pantelis C, Wahlund
    B. Functional and structural alterations in the cingulate motor area
    relate to decreased fronto-striatal coupling in major depressive
    disorder with psychomotor disturbances. [8] Front Psychiatry. 2014 Dec
    4
  • 5:176. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00176. eCollection 2014.
    13) Kristiansson MH, Brorsson A, *Wachtler C*, Troein M. Pain, power and
    patience-a narrative study of general practitioners' relations with
    chronic pain patients. [9] BMC Fam Pract. 2011 May 15
  • 12:31. doi:
    10.1186/1471-2296-12-31.
    14) Hök J, *Wachtler C*, Falkenberg T, Tishelman C. Using narrative
    analysis to understand the combined use of complementary therapies and
    bio-medically oriented health care. [10] Soc Sci Med. 2007
    Oct
  • 65(8):1642-53. Epub 2007 Jul 9.
    15) *Wachtler C*, Lundin S, Troein M. Humanities for medical students? A
    qualitative study of a medical humanities curriculum in a medical school
    program. BMC Medical Education 2006 Mar 6
  • 6:16.
    16) *Wachtler C*, Brorsson A, Troein M. Meeting and treating cultural
    difference in primary care: a qualitative interview study. Fam Pract.
    Feb 2006
  • 23: 111-115.
    17) *Wachtler C*, Troein M. A hidden curriculum: mapping cultural competency
    in a medical program. Med Educ. 2003
  • 37:861-868.
    [1] https://doi.org/10.1080/02813432.2020.1841531
    [2] https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260520965973
    [3] https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-020-1087-4
    [4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31257959
    [5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31122186
    [6] http://mhealth.jmir.org/2018/4/e95
    [7] http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.02.014
    [8] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25538633
    [9] blank
    [10] blank

Teaching

  • *Teaching*
    I currently teach for 50% of my full-time position. I have over 450 hours of
    teaching hours not including planning, implementation and evaluation, with
    more than 50% percent of those being teaching hours at KIs Medical Program at
    the undergraduate level. During the past 2 years I have spent more than 1000
    hours involved in teaching or teaching related activities. I have had course
    leadership responsibility for the current introductory course to KIs medical
    program, Upptakt: Introduktion till läkaryrket (2LK153, 6hp), since April
    2018. In this role, I was responsible for the course curriculum design and
    development, examination design and development, and course evaluation.
    *Supervision *
    * Dr. Caroline Kappelin, PhD student.
    * Dr Märta Kron 2020 VESTA Videobesök: Allmänläkares attityder och
    erfarenheter (Video consultatations: experiences and attitudes of primary
    care physicians.)
    * Dr. Karolina Lundberg 2020 VESTA Kartläggning av förskrivning av
    Zopiklon och Zolpidem på Stuvsta vårdcentral under 2018 (Mapping
    preciptions of Zolpiklon och Zolpidem at Stuvsta Primary Care Center 2018)
    * Dr. Magnus Scheele 2019 VESTA Finns det fördelar med telefontriagering i
    primärvården? (Is telephone triage positive for primary care?)
    * Dr. Emma Hanfot, 2018 VESTA Process evaluation of the Lifespan Integration
    for sexual trauma treatment study
    * Dr. Malin Ellner 2018 VESTA Förbättrar vegansk kost HbA1c hos patienter
    med typ 2 diabetes? En systematisk litteraturgenomgång. (Does a vegan
    diet improve Hb1AC for patients with type 2 diabetes? A systematic
    review.)
    * Dr.Frida Emilsson, 2018 VESTA Continuity for the elderly in primary care:
    effects on emergency and in-patient health care use and health.
    * Ms. Sanjana Kumar 2017 Masters in Global Health, Karolinska institutet.
    “Art is an injection that cures us”-The perception of art based
    interventions for patients with severe mental illness at community mental
    health centers in Southern India
    * Dr. Eric Norlander 2017 VESTA Farmakologisk behandling av patienter med
    kronisk hjärtsvikt på Ekerö Vårdcentral. (Pharmacological treatment of
    patients with chronic heart failure at Ekerö Primary Care Center)
    * Dr Peter Olszamowski 2016 VESTA "Finns det evidens för att lokal
    kortisoninjektion är den bästa behandlingsmetoden, avseende smärta och
    rörlighet, vid adhesiv kapsulit? En litteraturgenomgång av
    översiktsartiklar" Main supervisor.
    * Dr Maria Gavelin 2016 VESTA "Gynnsamt samarbete? Några
    öppenvårdsgynekologers syn på samarbetet med primärvården i
    Stockholmsregionen." Main supervisor.
    * Ms Bridget Fernando 2014-2015 Scholarly Selective “Between a rock and a
    hard place”: Management of Hazara refugee mental health in General
    Practice. Co-supervisor with Dr Phyllis Lau
    * Ms Sahema Saberi 2014 Honours degree Understanding primary mental
    health care access and utilisation among young Hazara refugees living in
    Melbourne Co-supervisor with Dr. Phyllis Lau

Articles

All other publications

Employments

  • Senior Lecturer, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, 2023-2024

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2023

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