Patrik Karlsson

As the global population continues to grow and life expectancy increases, the burden of non-communicable diseases is also rising, highlighting the need for sustainable strategies to promote health, function and quality of life across the lifespan. In this context and with an interest in public health, I am interested in the importance of lifestyle interventions, and physical activity as a key component in the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases.

Core questions that drives me are (the non-scientific formulated ones in my head...),

- How do we actually get people to do what they are "supposed to do" to prevent and manage non-communicable diseases?

- What can we do to support patient-engagement in rehabilitation processes?

- Should quality of life be the "gold standard" of outcomes regarding interventions for patients with chronic conditions? If so, how much does function and independence play a part?

- How do we go from evidence to real-world practice? Its never as easy as it sounds..

So to put this in scientific terms, my research aims to understand how lifestyle factors, physical activity, and function influence health and quality of life, and how evidence-based interventions can be effectively implemented in clinical and community settings. I also explore methods to support patient-centered rehabilitation and patient engagement. I have a particular interest in implementation research of complex interventions in real-world settings and the use of mixed method, qualitative methods, and feasibility studies.

I also have a strong interest in pedagogy and the implementation of pedagogical methods in clinical teaching, such as Peer-Learning and Interprofessional Education.