Network Members

VULNERABILITY AS A STRENGTH

Professor Kirsti Malterud MD PhD (general practice) is the founder and coordinator of the network. She has completed a large number of studies about women’s health and patient perspectives, recently a large research network called “Symptoms as a source of knowledge”. The last decade, she has collaborated with professor Hanne Hollnagel MD PhD (general practice), Copenhagen, on patients’ self-assessed personal health resources. Having finished this project, a new study about the possible potentials of doctors’ vulnerability in patient encounters is in good progress.. PhD student Margrethe Aase MD started her PhD project 2006 about issues on life, death, and vulnerability for patients with serious heart disease and their doctors. Medical student Rune Slettbakk, Bergen, is working on a study about coping and management of chronic health problems, with headache and overweight as his first cases. Neurologist Jan C. Frich MD, Oslo, is working on his PhD about experiences of risk in people with familial hypercholesterolemia, based on qualitative interviews. Senior researcher Sissel Steihaug MD PhD (rehabilitation), Oslo, completed her PhD in 2002 on a project about the role of recognition in a treatment program for women with chronic pain, organized together with physiotherapist Birgitte Ahlsen PT, Oslo. Steihaug goes on with research about potentials for change among women with pain, while Ahlsen pursues the issues of body language experienced in the treatment groups for her master’s degree. Sociologist Anne Werner MSc PhD, slo, defended her PhD thesis in 2005 about women with chronic pain, focusing the hard work of being a patient while maintaining credibility and dignity. She plans for a postdoc project about male heavy drinkers, who succeed to quit drinking against all odds. Senior advisor Lillebeth Larun PT, MPH, Oslo, has recently started her PhD project on evidence, experience, and knowledge about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Senior resident Merete Undeland MD (neurology), Drammen, is working on her PhD project about diagnostic work in general practice, focusing the potential contributions of women patients in understanding the medically unexplained disorders. Assoc. professor Per Stensland MD PhD (general practice), Sogndal, completed his PhD in 2003 on a project where written home notes were used to create new dialogues in encounters between the general practitioner and patients with medically unexplained disorders. He is planning a postdoc project pursuing issues about clinical dialogues. Professor Per Solvang MSc PhD (sociology), Oslo, has done extensive research and also cultural dissemination work about disability, emphasizing the impact of bodily and cultural diversity, turning shame into pride and elaborating identities. Assoc. professor Anbjørg Ohnstad (psychologist), Oslo, is working on the analysis of data from her PhD project about identity development in lesbian women, drawing her long experience as a therapist. Specialist in general practice Mari Bjørkman MD, Oslo, is analysing focus group data from a small scale project about the impact of disclosure of sexual orientation when lesbian women see their doctors. Public health nurse RN Mona Flatval (Oslo) is in the middle of analysis of interview data in her master’s project about self-assessed health resources in lesbian women, focusing the benefit of lesbian life as compared to risks and disasters. Senior researcher Janecke Thesen MD (general practice), Bergen, has developed a teaching program for medical students about health care to marginalized groups, including lesbian women and people with major mental illness. She is working on development of empowerment strategies intended to counteract oppression experienced by people from marginalized groups.. Senior researcher PhD Patricia E. Deegan (psychology) has the last decades been a leading spokesperson for persons with mental disabilities, using her own long-term user experiences to explore values and strategies of recovery and resilience. Her present research deals with psychotropic medication and empowerment.