Develop an interdisciplinary position statement to establish common ground amongst the research community of AHPs in Germany to aid the academic discourse on research needs.
The expert commission met regularly over the course of a year to develop a document that describes the requirements to further the professionalisation and academisation of AHPs. Offering excellent and innovative services is key for addressing the populations’ ever-increasing non-communicable diseases and complex conditions.
Several review cycles involved input from the wider research community and stakeholders from professional organisations.
The paper clarifies what sustainability means in the context of a needs-oriented and patient empowering service provision. It identifies areas of research on different levels from basic research to the meso- and macro-level research and highlights the varying roles and competencies that determine professional expertise. The paper also explores the various connections between research and practice.
A key element of nurturing successful and future-oriented research is the political landscape.
The German health system needs more research and an academically trained workforce to provide effective and sustainable treatment, strengthening people’s participation and quality of life. Novel approaches to therapy services are required for recognition on an international level.
The position statement was recently published on the HVG website and will hopefully be used to support colleagues when applying for research grants and raise the awareness of the importance of research conducted by AHPs in Germany.
Discussing the paper and its key components with an international audience will help to raise awareness on the issues of the professional research landscape in Germany.
Interdisciplinary
