Research projects

Our current research projects are listed below with a brief description and contact person. If you have any questions, please contact the colleagues listed directly.

SP-Rea: Stress experience and performance of medical students during resuscitation training: comparative study on the influence of environmental factors

The SP-Rea project investigates the experience of stress during resuscitation and the effect of this stress on performance. To this end, resuscitation training is being designed in a multisensory interaction room (MIR). The MIR was developed at the HTW Dresden and is a stationary media installation. In this room, real scenes recorded with special technology as well as virtual environments can be played out immersively in a 270° perspective. Compared to a learning environment in a seminar room, a higher level of immersiveness is assumed, which can cause a higher level of stress. In addition to immersiveness, other environmental factors such as smell, light and people present can increase the stress experienced. Based on the current state of research, the SP-Rea project is investigating the physiological and psychological experience of stress during resuscitation training in the MIR and the relationship to the subjective and objective performance of resuscitation quality.

• Project participants (alphabetical order): Dr. Doreen Pretze, Dr. Kristina Schick, Marie-Christin Willemer
• Other project participants: Prof. Georg Freitag (HTW), Prof. Dieterich Kammer (HTW)
• Project duration: since October 2024
• Funding: Budget funds

eQ-Attached: Influence of emotional intelligence and attachment styles on patient-centered communication of medical students

Patient-centered communication is an essential part of medical practice. The way in which doctors interact with their patients, respond to them and involve them in decision-making has a major impact on the quality of the interpersonal relationship, can promote patient trust and satisfaction and thus increase compliance. Two decisive factors that influence the acquisition and quality of conversation skills are emotional intelligence (EI) and the attachment behavior of the treating physicians. EI is the ability to perceive, understand and appropriately regulate one's own and others' emotions (Härter & Dirmaier, 2020). Attachment behavior, which develops early in life, influences a person's interaction behavior and relationship dynamics. In medical relationships, they can be decisive for how doctors interact with their patients and which communication strategies they use. In the eQ-Attached project, we are now investigating the connection between EI, attachment behavior and attitudes towards patient-centered communication among medical students.

• Project participants: Mariam Arnold, Dr. Kristina Schick
• Project duration: since April 2024
• Funding: Budget funds

WissKomm: How students experience science communication

In the WissKomm project, we want to investigate the importance of skills in science communication for medical students by examining the change in attitudes towards science communication as a result of increased knowledge. We assume that an elective subject in science communication not only promotes practical skills, but can also influence attitudes towards science communication. Likewise, promoting science communication skills among medical students can make a significant contribution to improving public health communication and strengthening trust in medical science. Based on the findings, we aim to develop recommendations for the sustainable integration of science communication. In the long term, this should help to train a new generation of doctors who are not only professionally competent, but who can also act as effective communicators and mediators of scientific knowledge in society.

• Project participants: Dr. Doreen Pretze, Dr. Kristina Schick
• Project duration: since October 2024
• Funding: Budget funds

What is a "good doctor"? A longitudinal qualitative analysis of the changeability of the doctor's image as part of a course in the practical year.

Prospective doctors are faced with a variety of role requirements. They are active in patient care, are colleagues, are thus part of a team and, at the same time, a private person with their own personal needs. At the same time, however, they are also part of a system with its structures, guidelines and framework conditions. Combining and coordinating these two opposing forces can be a major challenge for young doctors. The PJ seminar "Suddenly in the clinic" was developed to make the transition from medical studies to further training easier. By combining the two concepts of "medical professionalism" and "case-based clinical reasoning", everyday practical cases are worked on in a small group of PJ students with a multidisciplinary team of lecturers (doctors from different departments, medical lawyers, medical ethicists, educational and film scientists) using different didactic formats. The research project associated with this seminar examines whether and how the image of the "good doctor" changes as a result of the seminar. To this end, free texts written by the participating students on the question "What is a 'good doctor'?" are recorded and qualitatively analyzed before and after the seminar.

• Project participants: Rosalie Heine, Dr. Kristina Schick
• Project duration: since February 2024
• Funding: Budget funds

Survey study to record the structure and quality of specialist training in Germany using the WFME Questionnaire

Specialist training in Germany is characterized by considerable heterogeneity. There is a lack of structured training curricula, resulting in differences in quality and structure in further training. This problem not only makes it difficult to compare training institutions, but can also impair the quality of medical care. The aim of the study is to systematically record the structure and quality of specialist training in Germany. The WFME-Questionnaire (World Federation for Medical Education) was used for this purpose.

• Project participants: Constanze Weber, Christopher Holzmann-Littig, Friederike Bennett, Marjo Wijnen-Meijer
• Project duration: 2025
• Funding: Budget funds