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Bilde av Abelsen, Birgit
Bilde av Abelsen, Birgit
National Centre for Rural Medicine birgit.abelsen@uit.no +4778450412 95870987 You can find me here

Birgit Abelsen

Professor in health service research

Job description

I am a broadly oriented health services researcher with a professional interest in the organisation and financing of health services, recruitment and retention of health personnel, reforms in the health care system, teamwork and division of labour between different professions, and inequalities in health and access to health services. I have a particular interest in primary health care and health services in rural areas.

I divide my working hours between the National Centre for Rural Medicine (NRCM) where I have 80% of my position and the Institute of Community Medicine (ISM) where I have 20% of my position.

NRCM is an interdisciplinary competence centre at ISM funded by the Norwegian Directorate of Health and Helse Nord RHF, as well as by commissioned research.

  • Susanna Sten-Gahmberg, Susanna Sten-gahmberg, Kine Pedersen, Kine Pedersen, Ingrid gaarder Harsheim, Hanna Isabel Løyland et al.:
    Pragmatic randomized controlled trial comparing a complex telemedicine-based intervention with usual care in patients with chronic conditions
    European Journal of Health Economics 31. January 2024 FULLTEKST / ARKIV / DOI
  • Susanna Sten Gahmberg, Kine Pedersen, Ingrid Gaarder Harsheim, Hanna Isabel Løyland, Birgit Abelsen :
    Experiences with telemedicine-based follow-up of chronic conditions: the views of patients and health personnel enrolled in a pragmatic randomized controlled trial
    BMC Health Services Research 2024 DOI
  • Birgit Abelsen, Kine Pedersen, Hanna Isabel Løyland, Emilie Aandahl :
    Expanding general practice with interprofessional teams: a mixed-methods patient perspective study
    BMC Health Services Research 2023 ARKIV / DOI
  • Kine Pedersen, Hanna Isabel Løyland, Sæther Erik Magnus, Susanna Sten Gahmberg, Birgit Abelsen, Øyvind Snilsberg et al.:
    Primærhelseteam – en mer teambasert fastlegetjeneste
    Magma forskning og viten 2023 ARKIV / DOI
  • Hanna Isabel Løyland, Kine Pedersen, Susanna Sten Gahmberg, Ingrid Gaarder Harsheim, Erik Magnus Sæther, Tor Iversen et al.:
    Effekter, gevinster og kostnader ved digital hjemmeoppfølging–en samfunnsøkonomisk analyse basert på et pragmatisk randomisert forsøk
    Magma forskning og viten 2023 ARKIV / DOI
  • Ana Silvia Ibarra Sanchez, Birgit Abelsen, Gang Chen, Torbjørn Wisløff :
    Educational patterns of health behaviors and body mass index: A longitudinal multiple correspondence analysis of a middle-aged general population, 2007-2016
    PLOS ONE 2023 ARKIV / DOI
  • Anette Fosse, Birgit Abelsen, Margrete Gaski, Hilde Grimstad :
    Educational interventions to ensure provision of doctors in rural areas - a systematic review
    Rural and remote health 2023 ARKIV / DOI
  • Birgit Abelsen, Anette Fosse, Margrete Gaski, Hilde Grimstad :
    Tiltak i grunnutdanningen for å sikre leger til distrikt – en systematisk oversikt
    Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening 10. January 2022 ARKIV / DOI
  • Anette Fosse, Anders Svensson, Ingvill Konradsen, Birgit Abelsen :
    Tension between local, regional and national levels in Norway’s handling of COVID-19
    Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 2022 ARKIV / DOI
  • Marie Hella Lindberg, Gang Chen, Jan Abel Olsen, Birgit Abelsen :
    Combining education and income into a socioeconomic position score for use in studies of health inequalities
    BMC Public Health 2022 ARKIV / DOI
  • Åsa Langen Westlie, Margrete Gaski, Birgit Abelsen, Hilde Grimstad, Eirik Hugaas Ofstad :
    Leger utdannet i Bodø – hvem er de og hvor blir de av?
    Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening 10. January 2022 ARKIV / DOI
  • Espen Berthung, Nils Gutacker, Birgit Abelsen, Jan Abel Olsen :
    Inequality of opportunity in a land of equal opportunities: The impact of parents' health and wealth on their offspring's quality of life in Norway
    BMC Public Health 2022 ARKIV / DOI
  • Anja Margrete Davis Norbye, Birgit Abelsen, Olav Helge Førde, Unni Ringberg :
    The association between health anxiety, physical disease and cardiovascular risk factors in the general population – a cross-sectional analysis from the Tromsø study: Tromsø 7
    BMC Primary Care 2022 ARKIV / DOI
  • Anja Margrete Davis Norbye, Birgit Abelsen, Olav Helge Førde, Unni Ringberg :
    Health anxiety is an important driver of healthcare use
    BMC Health Services Research 2022 ARKIV / DOI
  • Espen Berthung, Nils Gutacker, Oddgeir Friborg, Birgit Abelsen, Jan Abel Olsen :
    Who keeps on working? The importance of resilience for labour market participation
    PLOS ONE 2021 ARKIV / DOI
  • Marie Hella Lindberg, Gang Chen, Jan Abel Olsen, Birgit Abelsen :
    Explaining subjective social status in two countries: The relative importance of education, occupation, income and childhood circumstances
    SSM - Population Health 2021 ARKIV / DOI
  • Helle Krone-Hjertstrøm, Bente Norbye, Birgit Abelsen, Aud Obstfelder :
    Organizing work in local service implementation: an ethnographic study of nurses’ contributions and competencies in implementing a municipal acute ward
    BMC Health Services Research 2021 ARKIV / DOI
  • Martin Bruusgaard Harbitz, Per Steinar Stensland, Birgit Abelsen :
    Medical malpractice in Norway: frequency and distribution of disciplinary actions for medical doctors 2011–2018
    BMC Health Services Research 2021 ARKIV / DOI
  • Monika Dybdahl Jakobsen, Aud Obstfelder, Tonje Braaten, Birgit Abelsen :
    The self-management work of food hypersensitivity
    PLOS ONE 2021 ARKIV / DOI
  • Margrete Gaski, Birgit Abelsen :
    Å lede eksperter inn i nye arbeidsmåter. Lederatferd ved implementering av primærhelseteam på fastlegekontor
    Tidsskrift for velferdsforskning 2020 ARKIV / DOI
  • Birgit Abelsen, Roger Strasser, David Heaney, Peter Berggren, Sigurdur Sigurdsson, Helen Brandstorp et al.:
    Plan, recruit, retain: a framework for local healthcare organizations to achieve a stable remote rural workforce
    Human Resources for Health 03. September 2020 ARKIV / DOI
  • Emilie Aandahl, Birgit Abelsen, Anette Fosse, Geir Godager, Tor Iversen, Hanna Isabel Løyland et al.:
    Evaluering av forsøk med primærhelseteam og alternative finansieringsordninger: Sluttrapport 2018 – 2023 (Statusrapport VI)
    2024 ARKIV
  • Emilie Aandahl, Birgit Abelsen, Anette Fosse, Geir Godager, Tor Iversen, Hanna Isabel Løyland et al.:
    Evaluering av forsøk med primærhelseteam og alternative finansieringsordninger. Statusrapport V
    2023 FULLTEKST / OMTALE / ARKIV
  • Kine Pedersen, Geir Godager, Johannes Bjørnstad Tyrihjell, Susanne Gerda Værnø, Martine Bergh Gundersen, Tor Iversen et al.:
    Evaluering av handlingsplan for allmennlegetjenesten 2020–2024: Evalueringsrapport II.
    2023 ARKIV / FULLTEKST
  • Anja Margrete Davis Norbye, Birgit Abelsen, Olav Helge Førde, Unni Ringberg :
    Assosiasjonen mellom helseangst, kreft og kardiovaskulære sykdommer
    2023
  • Jon Helgheim Holte, Birgit Abelsen, Anette Fosse, Tom E. Markussen, Terje Olsen :
    Spesialistutdanning i allmennmedisin Nye roller og mer ansvar for kommunene
    Fafo 2023
  • Anette Fosse, Birgit Abelsen, Anders Svensson, Peder Andreas Halvorsen :
    Sammen om helse i nord
    Nordnorsk Debatt 11. October 2023 FULLTEKST
  • Marie Hella Lindberg, John Wildman, Birgit Abelsen, Jan Abel Olsen :
    The lasting impact of circumstances on health and efforts in adulthood
    2022
  • Marie Hella Lindberg, John Wildman, Birgit Abelsen, Jan Abel Olsen :
    The lasting impact of circumstances on health and efforts in adulthood
    2022
  • Birgit Abelsen, Geir Godager, Ingrid Gaarder Harsheim, Tor Iversen, Ivar Sønbø Kristiansen, Hanna Isabell Løyland et al.:
    Evaluering av utprøving av digital hjemmeoppfølging: Sluttrapport.
    2022 FULLTEKST
  • Birgit Abelsen :
    Plan! - Recruit - Retain
    2022
  • Birgit Abelsen :
    Interventions in medical education to develop rural doctors
    2022
  • Birgit Abelsen :
    Følgeforskningen av pilotprosjektet ALIS-Vest
    2022
  • Birgit Abelsen :
    Kan primærhelseteam bidra til en bedre primærhelsetjeneste?
    2022
  • Birgit Abelsen, Margrete Gaski, Geir Godager, Tor Iversen, Hanna Isabel Løyland, Kine Pedersen et al.:
    Evaluering av pilotprosjekt med primærhelseteam og alternative finansieringsordninger: Sluttrapport for 2018-2021 (Statusrapport IV).
    Universitetet i Oslo 2022 FULLTEKST / ARKIV
  • Birgit Abelsen, Anette Fosse, Margrete Gaski :
    ALIS i bykommuner.Erfaringer med utdanningselementer og utdanningsløp
    UiT Norges arktiske universitet 2022 DATA
  • Margrete Gaski, Birgit Abelsen, Anette Fosse :
    Hva hemmer og fremmer tilgang til kvalifisert personell til helse- og omsorgstjenesten i distriktskommuner?
    UiT Norges arktiske universitet 2022
  • Kine Pedersen, Kine Pedersen, Geir Godager, Hans David Rognlien, Johannes Bjørnstad Tyrihjell, Susanne Gerda Værnø et al.:
    Evaluering av handlingsplan for allmennlegetjenesten 2020–2024: Evalueringsrapport I
    2022 FULLTEKST / ARKIV
  • Margrete Gaski, Per Steinar Stensland, Birgit Abelsen, Martin Bruusgaard Harbitz :
    Exploring patient safety in rural general practice - a mixed-methods approach
    UiT Norges arktiske universitet 2022
  • Anja Margrete Davis Norbye, Birgit Abelsen, Olav Helge Førde, Unni Ringberg :
    The association between health anxiety, cancer and cardiovascular disease – preliminary results from the Tromsø study: Tromsø7
    2022
  • Anja Margrete Davis Norbye, Birgit Abelsen, Olav Helge Førde, Unni Ringberg :
    Health anxiety is an important driver of healthcare use
    2022
  • Margrete Gaski, Maria Fredriksen Kvamme, Eva MK Nordberg, Birgit Abelsen :
    Utdanningsstillinger i allmennmedisin: ALIS-Vest. Delrapport 4
    UiT Norges arktiske universitet 2021
  • Anette Fosse, Anders Svensson, Ingvill Konradsen, Birgit Abelsen :
    Lokalt smittevern i Norge under koronapandemien
    UiT Norges arktiske universitet 2021
  • Birgit Abelsen, Margrete Gaski, Geir Godager, Tor Iversen, Hanna Isabell Løyland, Kine Pedersen et al.:
    Evaluering av forsøk med primærhelseteam og alternative finansieringsordninger: Statusrapport III.
    Universitetet i Oslo 2021 ARKIV
  • Birgit Abelsen :
    Fastlegeordningen under press, hvordan er virkeligheten i Nord-Norge?
    2021
  • Birgit Abelsen :
    Kva løysingar kan bidra til å sikre kompetent helsepersonell til distrikta? Korleis kan utdanninga leggast til rette for å rekruttere til jobbar i distrikta?
    2021
  • Marie Hella Lindberg, Gang Chen, Jan Abel Olsen, Birgit Abelsen :
    A Cross-Country Study of Subjective Social Status: The Relative Importance of Education, Occupation, Income and ‘the Silver Spoon’ 
    2021
  • Anja Margrete Davis Norbye, Birgit Abelsen, Olav Helge Førde, Unni Ringberg :
    The association between health anxiety and number of physical diseases in a general population
    2021
  • Anja Margrete Davis Norbye, Birgit Abelsen, Olav Helge Førde, Unni Ringberg :
    Distribution of health anxiety in a general adult population and associations with demographic and social network characteristics
    2021
  • Margrete Gaski, Maria Fredriksen Kvamme, Eva MK Nordberg, Birgit Abelsen :
    Utdanningsstillinger i allmennmedisin: ALIS-Vest. Delrapport 3
    UiT Norges arktiske universitet 2020

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    Research interests

    Based on different theoretical and methodological perspectives, as well as thematic focus and data production, the majority of my scientific production falls into these areas:

    • Recruiting and retaining health professionals in rural areas
    • Organizing and financing healthcare
    • Health and inequality

    A large part of my research production is based in primary healthcare and a lot of it concerns general practice. I have broad methodological competence and skills that I have used to shed light on many different research questions. As a statistician, I have great insight into quantitative data collection and analysis methods. Through my research I have also acquired skills in qualitative data production and analyses. I also take responsibility for the development of the research fields I am involved in and do peer reviews for various journals.

    For the time beeing, I'm member of the Editorial Board in the journal BMC Health Services Research.

    Teaching

    I have a small part of my position at ISM related to teaching (20 per cent). This part is mainly used for supervision of PhD students and master's degree students (at the Medical education programme and at the Master's programme in Public Health).

    I have been involved in supervising the following candidates for a PhD degree:

     


    Member of research group

    Helsetjenesteforskning   Norsk innhold Health services research   English content

    CV

    2021 - dd     Professor in Health Services Research, (NCRM), Department of Community Health, UiT
    2013 - 2021 Research Manager (80%), NCRM, Department of Community Health, UiT
    2012 - 2021 Associate professor (20%), Department of Community Health, UiT
    2011 - 2013 CEO, Norut Alta as
    2009 - 2012 Researcher (20%), NCRM, Department of Community Health, UiT
    2005 - 2009 Research fellow, Department of Community Health, UiT
    2004 - 2011 Senior researcher, Norut Alta as
    2001 - 2004 Researcher, Norut Alta as
    1995 - 2001 Assistant professor, Department of tourism and hospitality, Finnmark University College
    1992 - 1995 Assistant professor, Dep. of economy and administration, Finnmark University College
    1990 - 1992 Research assistant, Department of mathematics and statistics, NTNU