Cecilia Gardsten
I obtained a licentiate degree in Nursing Science in 2018 from Linnaeus University. My area of interest is healthcare combined with information and communication technology (ICT) that can contribute to improvements based on people's wishes. My licentiate thesis is entitled "Person-centred ICT services for people with type 2 diabetes". At Kristianstad University, I work in courses at undergraduate and graduate level, in the nursing programme and in independent courses.
Research
The research project for my studies was participant-based, multidisciplinary and conducted in close collaboration between people with type 2 diabetes, staff within Region Skåne and researchers in nursing science and informatics at Kristianstad University and Linnaeus University. The studies identified self-care support sought by persons with type 2 diabetes in future Information and Communication Services (ICT). A relatively large proportion of Sweden's population is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and is largely treated through self-care. People with a few years of experience and people with several years of experience of type 2 diabetes had both similar and different experiences of the challenges entailed by self-care. From a person-centred perspective, it is desirable that ICT services cater to self-care requirements based on each person's individual conditions. Consideration needs to be given to the person's knowledge requirements to support the development of self-care skills. The overall requirement for handling self-care was to accept the diagnosis, which helped to make decisions in everyday life. Acceptance of the diagnosis also made it possible to accept information, to learn about their state of health and to handle self-care. Trustful partnerships with health professionals and relatives were needed to digest information and be willing to communicate. Different communication opportunities helped to make it easier to accept the diagnosis and to understand what type 2 diabetes means. The research showed that people with type 2 diabetes have different self-care support needs in different stages of the disease. The research project is approved by the Ethical Review Board (Ref. 2012/329 and ref. 2012/6). Personal data is handled according to the Personal Data Act (1998:204).
Background
I qualified as a licensed dental hygienist in 1986 (Jönköping University), obtained a degree in 1993 from the Nursing Teacher Education (Stockholm University), a university degree in Technical Communication in 2000 (Malmö University) and a Master's degree in Public Health in 2011 ( Lund University). I have worked in Blekinge, Kronoberg, Östergötland and Kristianstad at private and public clinics and completed UN service 1990 in field hospitals.