Health care research

Pflegerische Versorgungsforschung

Contact

Head of Department:
Prof. Dr. Karin Wolf-Ostermann
Tel.: +49 421 218-68960

Assistants:
Christiane Degering
Tel.: +49 421 218-68901

Administration & International Affairs:
Katrin Dorow
Tel.: +49 421 218-68961

Grazer Straße 4
28359 Bremen

Welcome to the site of Department für Health Care Research. The Department was founded in April 2014 and has extended its projects and number of team members since then. Successfully, research projects with third party funding have been conducted. Please inform in the following about our focus points in research and our main responsibilities. Do not hesitate to contact us for further inquiries.

Our research focal points

The research of Department 7 is aiming at the investigation of structures, processes and results in health care. Head of the department is Prof. Dr. Karin Wolf-Ostermann. The focus of our investigations is particularly put on the needs of elderly people due to the demographic development in Germany. Innovative health care concepts are developed and assessed in close collaboration with health care facilities. Their effects are evaluated in existing health care structures and settings. The research involves the description of existing health care situations as well as the corresponding knowledge transfer into practice. In general our interests are open to all fields that are related to (Public) Health, Nursing and the Life- and Social Sciences and that are not solely connected to medicine. We highly support to work with other research institutions and appreciate to explore collaboration opportunities in the fields mentioned above.

  • Quality assurance and Quality development
    Research of living quality, social situation and societal inclusion of people who need health care. Further, developing and evaluating instruments and indicators to assess the quality of supply in various settings.

  • Ongoing Development of alternative supply structures
    Research of alternative and interdisciplinary supply settings to continually develop and evaluate alternative forms of living for (older) people with needs for care and support.

  • New technologies in Health Care
    Research of needs, possible applications and implementation of modern and innovative technologies to support people with need for Health Care, caring relatives and professional nurses.

  • Evidence-based research
    Research for continuous development and professionalization in Health Care with the aim to use scientific basics for developing new concepts and instruments as well as for transfer of research results to Health Care and supply institutions.

  • Analysis of network structures
    Analyses of formal and informal supply networks with the focus on providing chronically sick people of various ages and in different life and supply situations with Health Care.

 

News


Nepalesische Landschaft
Global Health| Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

Sudeepa Khanal Bhattarai successfully defends her dissertation “Translating Global Debates into National Policy: Climate Change and Health Equity in Nepal”

Sudeepa Khanal Bhattarai, PhD candidate at the Department of Global Health of the Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research of the University of Bremen, successfully defended her dissertation at the University of Bielefeld in April.


Portrait von Frau Prof. Karin Wolf-Ostermann
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

Northwest Alliance: We are connectet - Andreas Hein & Karin Wolf-Ostermann

The Northwest Alliance is supported by staff and students from the universities of Bremen and Oldenburg. The ‘We Are Connected’ series showcases individuals from the fields of research, teaching, knowledge transfer and administration who collaborate across campuses.


Von links: Dr. Kathrin Seibert, Dominik Domhoff, Prof. Dr. Heinz Rothgang, Swenja Krüppel, Prof. Dr. Karin Wolf-Ostermann, Julia Misonow, Janina Ehe, Jessica Lobitz
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

8th Conference “Future of Nursing” in Nuremberg

Researchers from the Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP) and the SOCIUM Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy of the University of Bremen presented current research on the digital transformation of nursing at the 8th conference “Future of Nursing” in Nuremberg.


Karin Wolf-Ostermann bei der Preisverleihung der Robert-Boschstiftung
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

AI in nursing care: Robert Bosch Foundation health award for Bremen-based research project ProKIP

The ProKIP project has received the Robert Bosch Foundation's special ‘Ideas for Impact’ award for 2026. On Thursday, 26 Feb-ruary 2026, the researchers in Professor Karin Wolf-Ostermann's team from Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research were honoured.


Absolvent:innen pflegewissenschaftlicher Studiengänge 2026
Qualifikations- und Curriculumforschung| Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung| Pflegewissenschaftliche Evaluations- und Implementierungsforschung|

Formal farewell ceremony for students of nursing science programmes at the University of Bremen

On 3 February 2026, the graduation ceremony for nursing science graduates took place in Lecture Hall GW 1 at the University of Bremen.


Karin Wolf-Ostermann
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

i2b meet-up ‘AI in Health: Biosignals meet health & care’ with Prof. Karin Wolf-Ostermann from the Institute for Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP)

Panel discussion with Prof. Karin Wolf-Ostermann from the IPP on the topic of “Biosignals meet health & care”


Prof Dr. Karin Wolf-Ostermann
Prävention und Gesundheitsförderung| Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

Bremen Symposium on AI in Health with Prof. Karin Wolf-Ostermann, Prof. Benjamin Schüz and Dr. PH Kathrin Seibert from the Institute for Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP)

In their contributions, health scientists at the IPP investigate the role of AI in the areas of health promotion, prevention and care.


Dr. Buğse Yüceer bei der Promotionsfeier
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

Doctorate in Turkey: Buğse Yüceer from IPP successfully completes her dissertation

Buğse Yüceer, research assistant at the Institute for Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP) successfully defended her dissertation entitled ‘Evaluation of the effectiveness of a mobile application developed for informal carers of people with dementia’.


Portrait Prof. Dr. Karin Wolf-Ostermann
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

Prof Karin Wolf-Ostermann from IPP involved in research project to evaluate language software in long-term care

What time savings and what qualitative improvements does language software bring to care for the elderly? This is being researched and analysed for the first time by the University of Bremen and Bremen University of Applied Sciences in the TCALL project.


Janissa Altona and researchers of Simon Fraser University
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

Janissa Altona in Canada at the Simon Fraser University in the field of dementia research

During her research stay in Canada, Janissa Altona from IPP of University of Bremen is working on dementia-friendly neighborhoods as part of the DemSCAPE project.


v.l. nach rechts: Miriam Steens, Gruppenbild mit Ayşe Meydanlıoğlu, Buğse Yüceer, Karin Wolf-Ostermann, Nilgün Aksoy
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

Delegation from Akdeniz University visits Prof Dr Karin Wolf-Ostermann at IPP

The Erasmus cooperation between the IPP's Department of Health Care Research and Akdeniz University will be further promoted and enriched by the visit of health care researchers on July, 2nd, 2025.


Portrait Prof. Dr. Karin Wolf-Ostermann
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

"Robots and AI instead of humans? Rescue in the age of staff shortages?"

Prof Dr Karin Wolf-Ostermann from IPP took part in the Capital Congress on Medicine and Health in Berlin and gave a lecture.


[Translate to English:]
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

Prof Dr Karin Wolf-Ostermann from IPP in a salon discussion on the future of care: digitalisation in the service of people

The Care Innovation Centre (PIZ), coordinated by OFFIS e.V., hosted the first ‘Salongespräch zur Zukunft der Pflege’ on 12 June 2025 in the Innovationsquartier Oldenburg.


[Translate to English:]
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung| Pflegewissenschaftliche Evaluations- und Implementierungsforschung|

IPP nursing scientists represented at the "4th International Conference of the German Society for Nursing Science" in Berlin

The 4th International Conference of the German Society for Nursing Science (DGP) in Berlin provided an opportunity to discuss the latest research findings and innovative practical examples and to form potential collaborations.


Karin Wolf-Ostermann
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

Prof Dr Karin Wolf-Ostermann reappointed to the Ethics Committee of the German Society for Nursing Science

Bremen nursing scientist appointed to important committee for nursing science research


Gruppenfoto mit Karin Wolf-Ostermann und Janissa Altona
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

Prof Dr Karin Wolf-Ostermann and Janissa Altona at the ‘First International Conference on AI in Medicine and Healthcare’ (AiMH' 2025) in Innsbruck

The event bridged the gap between the latest technological developments and their practical applications with the aim of optimising care.


Portrait von Frau Prof. Karin Wolf-Ostermann
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

Prof Karin Wolf-Ostermann from IPP is co-author of the white paper ‘Learning through Interaction’ of the Learning Systems Platform

The platform is a network of experts in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). The almost 200 members from science, business and society work in working groups to develop positions on the opportunities and challenges of AI and identify options for action


Gruppenfoto von: Dr. Beliz Kübra Budak, Meret Rupprecht, Julia Misonow, Prof. Dr. Karin Wolf-Ostermann, Dominik Domhoff, Prof. Dr. Heinz Rothgang
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

7th Cluster Conference “Future of Care” – Team from the Department of Nursing Care Research takes part in Cluster Conference 2025 of the German Nursing Association in Berlin

Conference of the "Future of Care" cluster - experts and representatives of the professional world meet to exchange ideas on the latest developments and the status of digitalization/technological advances in the care and healthcare sector


Prokip-Team der pflegewissenschaftlichen Versorgungsforschung des IPP
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

How can AI be used sensibly in care in the future?

Prof. Dr Karin Wolf-Ostermann from IPP at the University of Bremen and the ProKIP team organised the final meeting of the BMBF funding measure ‘Making repositories and AI systems usable in everyday care’ (KIP)


Prof. Dr. Karin Wolf-Ostermann und Prof. Dr. Michal Kucera
Pflegewissenschaftliche Versorgungsforschung|

Prof Dr Karin Wolf-Ostermann from IPP at ‘AI 4 Health in the Northwest’

Exciting insights into the future of artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare - i|2|b idea together with the U Bremen Research Alliance and the Integrated Health Campus Bremen (IGB)

Grazer Straße Eingang

Members

Viktoria Hoel - Wissenschaftlerin aus Norwegen

Projects

Overview - projects of the department Health Care Research.