What happens when a researcher passionate about digital patient care gets access to some of the world's most innovative environments in the field? Tuva Moseng says that the study trip broadened her perspectives, opened up new collaborations, and gave her a professional and personal boost that she couldn't have gotten at home.
Through a scholarship from the Young Researchers Program (YRP), she was able to further develop her research in Australia within the field of digital follow-up of patients with rheumatic diseases.
Research on digital healthcare services
Tuva Moseng works as a researcher at REMEDY and Diakonhjemmet Hospital. She is also an associate professor at OsloMet. She received her PhD on how to implement better and more evidence-based treatment for patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis in primary health care.
She is currently working on projects to develop digital ways to follow up and treat patients with rheumatic diseases. She also leads the regional research network for decentralized clinical trials, RECONNECT.
– The goal is to make treatment more accessible and of higher quality.
Through YRP, she had the opportunity to further develop three projects: Nor-Flare, OA-AID and RECONNECT.
The purpose of the trip
The stay went to The Australian e-Health Research Centre in Brisbane and the osteoarthritis group at the Kolling Institute at the University of Sydney.
Both environments are at the forefront of digital health and osteoarthritis research.
– I wanted to learn from their projects and establish closer contact for possible future collaborations.
Academic benefits from a country with great distances
Australia provided access to experiences she wouldn't have found at home.
– Australia has in some areas come further than Norway when it comes to digital healthcare and decentralized studies. Although the country is larger, we share challenges with distance and the need for flexible solutions that make high-quality follow-up and treatment available.
The insights she gained have given her several ideas for how Norwegian digital services and research models can be further developed. For example, we are now working to further develop the OA-AID project to investigate whether we can improve the quality and access to treatment for people with osteoarthritis at several stages of the disease process.
New contacts and an inclusive environment
Moseng talks about a hospitable research environment. She was included in meetings and seminars and received help to establish contact with relevant researchers, both locally and internationally.
– I became part of the group right away, and they were very keen to connect me with people they thought could be important partners.
One of the things that surprised her most was the way she worked.
– Home offices are much more widespread than I'm used to. Many people met almost exclusively digitally.
She also noticed how closely research communities in English-speaking countries collaborate, and how language helps lower the thresholds for international projects.
She also experienced a warm social environment and was invited on everything from tours and boat trips to dinners at people's homes.
A family trip that added value
She enthusiastically says that Australia is a wonderfully diverse and beautiful country.
– There are endless opportunities for all kinds of activities. Perfect for anyone who loves beaches, surfing, city life, nature, strange animals and good food.
Moseng was able to share this with her family. They also combined the trip with a few weeks of vacation.
–Discovering new places together both on vacation and in a work situation gave a whole new dimension to the stay.
Experiences she takes with her
The stay provided both a professional boost and personal motivation.
– This is an opportunity I will take with me for the rest of my life. The stay expanded my network and gave me a boost as a researcher.
She encourages other young researchers to take the chance.
– Just do it. You won't regret it. And feel free to bring your family. It makes for a unique experience.
The only thing she would have done differently was to stay there longer. But with children at school and a husband at work, that wasn't possible.
– I am very happy that REMEDY also supports short stays, she says with a smile.
