Research by new Doctor of Medical Science increases patient safety
Associate Professor and PhD Henrik Støvring from Aarhus University's Department of Public Health is now a Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc). He conducts research into the Danish population’s use of medicines and develops new statistical methods which are able to examine the effects and side-effects of prescription-only medicines.
Denmark has its own unique health registers which are crucial for research into health and disease. In his higher doctoral dissertation, new DMSc Henrik Støvring presents research results which mean these registers can be better utilised in future when it comes to investigating how medicinal products actually work. Not only when medicines are tested in pharmaceutical company’s extremely controlled trials, but also when routinely used by ordinary patients after their own general practitioner prescribes them.
Using the new methods, Henrik Støvring and his research colleagues are able to examine and take into account how different groups of patients use particular medicines. They can then use this knowledge when evaluating the effects and side-effects of a drug. This knowledge is useful for other researchers and for those who are responsible for the use of medicinal products here in Denmark including the Danish Medicines Agency. With improved methods, the agency will be able to detect unintended side-effects of a medicinal product more precisely and also quicker – thus improving patient safety.
Contact
Associate Professor, DMSC, PhD Henrik Støvring
Aarhus University, Department of Public Health
Mobile: (+45) 2233 5586
Email: stovring@ph.au.dk