PhD dissertations

2025

Stinne Eika Rasmussen: Evaluating the impact of a mental wellbeing intervention for patients with chronic conditions in Danish general practice (defended in October)

Problem-solving therapy in general practice for patients with ischaemic heart disease and/or type two diabetes and poor mental well-being: a 12-month randomised controlled trial assessing somatic and mental health outcomes. Rasmussen SE, Mygind A, Burau V, Christensen B, Christensen KS, Maindal HT, Pedersen AF, Soejbjerg A (the Healthy Mind study group). Submitted.
Implementing mental healthcare in chronic care in general practice: a mixed-methods process evaluation of the Healthy Mind intervention. Rasmussen SE, Soejbjerg A, Burau V, Christensen B, Christensen KS, Clyne B, Maindal HT, Pedersen AF, Mygind A (the Healthy Mind study group). Under review.
They know me better than my disease: a process evaluation study exploring the impact mechanisms of a mental health intervention in general practice for adults with chronic conditions. Rasmussen SE, Soejbjerg A, Burau V, Christensen B, Christensen KS, Clyne B, Maindal HT, Pedersen AF, Mygind A (the Healthy Mind study group). Under review.

Solvej Videbæk Bueno: MOVEMOM: Phycial activity following pregnancy and childbirth (defended in September)

Parous women perform less moderate to vigorous physical activity than their nulliparous peers: a population-based study in Denmark. Bueno SV, Nielsen RØ, Kallestrup P, Ryom K, Morgan K, Elsborg P, Petersen CB, Jacobsen JS. Public Health. 2024 Jun:231:47-54. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2024.03.010.
Danish mothers of young children adhere less to international physical activity guidelines compared with mothers of older children. Bueno SV, Skejø S, Nielsen RØ, Kallestrup P, Ryom K, Elsborg P, Petersen CB, Jacobsen JS. Prev Med Rep. 2025 Jan 11:50:102970. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2025.102970.
Supporting postpartum physical activity in maternity care: a co-creation study in Denmark. Bueno SV, Jacobsen JS, Nielsen RØ, Kallestrup P, Ryom K. Midwifery 2025. Sep:148:104523. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2025.104523.

Katrine Bjørnshave Bomholt: Task shifting in out-of-hours primary care: exploring the potential value of task shifting from general practitioners to nurses in clinics (defended in June)

Task shifting from general practitioners to other health professionals in out-of-hours primary care – a systematic literature review. Bomholt KB, Nebsbjerg AM, Burau V, Mygind A, Christensen MB, Huibers L. Eur J Gen Pract. 2024 Dec;30(1):2351807.
Task shifting from general practitioners to nurses in out-of-hours primary care: an explorative case study of team-based practices. Bomholt KB, Mygind A, Nebsbjerg MA, Christensen MB, Huibers L, Burau V. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2025 Sep;43(3):626-638.
Task shifting and the association with patient flow and resource use in out-of-hours primary care: an observational register-based study. Bomholt KB, Nebsbjerg MA, Vestergaard D, Mygind A, Burau V, Christensen MB, Huibers L. Manuscript in review.

Ina Grønkjær Laugesen: Anticoagulant therapy for atrial fibrillation: exploring the treatment gap among patients in general practice (defended in April)

General practice-related variation in oral anticoagulant treatment of atrial fibrillation: a nationwide cohort study. Laugesen IG, Vestergaard CH, Paust A et al. BJGP Open. 2025 Nov 11:BJGPO.2024.0197. doi: 10.3399/BJGPO.2024.019.
Temporal trends and patient determinants of geographic variation in oral anticoagulant treatment of atrial fibrillation: a nationwide cohort study in 2013-2022. Laugesen IG, Prior A, Mygind A et al. BMJ Open. 2025 May 24;15(5):e098129. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-098129.
Reasons for omitting anticoagulant treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation: an audit of patient records in general practice. Laugesen IG, Mygind A, Grove EL et al. BMC Prim Care. 2025 May 15;26(1):166. doi: 10.1186/s12875-025-02852-8.

Mette Amalie Nebsbjerg: From voice to vision: Exploring the potential value of video triage in out-of-hours primary care (defended in April)

Nebsbjerg MA, Bomholt KB, Vestergaard CH, Christensen MB, Huibers L.The added value of using video in out-of-Hours primary care telephone triage among general practitioners: cross-sectional survey study. JMIR Hum Factors. 2024 Nov 15:11:e52301. doi: 10.2196/52301.
Nebsbjerg MA, Bomholt KB, Christensen MB et al. How do parents experience video triage when seeking care for their acute ill children? A qualitative study in a Danish out-of-hours primary care setting. BMJ Open. 2024 Oct 22;14(10):e084656.
Nebsbjerg MA, Bomholt KB, Vestergaard CH et al. Reasons for encounter in video contacts at a Danish out-of-hours primary care service: a questionnaire study. BMJ Open. 2024 Oct 8;14(10):e086716. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086716.
Nebsbjerg MA, Vestergaard CH, Bomholt KB et al. Use of video in telephone triage in out-of-hours primary care: register-based study. JMIR Med Inform. 2024 Apr 4:12:e47039. doi: 10.2196/47039.

Anne Søjbjerg: The Healthy Mind study: Integrating mental health and chronic care in general practice (defended in February)

Søjbjerg A, Mygind A, Rasmussen SE, Christensen B. Pedersen AF. Maindal H. Bureau V, Christensen KS. Improving mental health in chronic care in general practice: study protocol for a cluster-randomised controlled trial of the Healthy Mind intervention. Trials. 2024 Apr 23;25(1):277. doi: 10.1186/s13063-024-08115-8.
Soejbjerg A, Rasmussen SE, Christensen KS, Christensen B, Pedersen AF, Maindal HT, Mygind A.Managing mental health in chronic care in general practice: a feasibility study of the Healthy Mind intervention. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2024 Mar;42(1):72-81. doi: 10.1080/02813432.2023.2289525. Epub 2024 Feb 7.

2024

Henrik Schou Pedersen: Use and validation of psychomtric tests in general practice

Pedersen HS, Christensen KB, Prior A, Christensen KS. A comparison of the original major depression inventory with a modified version: A Danish validation study. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2024 Mar;149(3):267-278. doi: 10.1111/acps.13656. Epub 2024 Jan 16.
Pedersen HS, Christensen KS, Prior A, Christensen KB. The dimensionality of the Perceived Stress Scale: The presence of opposing items is a source of measurement error. Affect Disord. 2024 Jan 1:344:485-494. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.10.109. Epub 2023 Oct 16.
Pedersen HS, Christensen KS, Prior A. Variation in psychometric testing in general practice - a nationwide cohort study. Clin Epidemiol. 2023 Mar 22:15:391-405. doi: 10.2147/CLEP.S396819. eCollection 2023.
Pedersen HS, Christensen KB, Prior A et al. Structural validity of the Anxiety Symptom Scale - a Danish validation study. Nord J Psychiatry. 2025 Feb;79(2):166-174. doi: 10.1080/08039488.2025.2466642. Epub 2025 Feb 20.

Amanda Paust: Social inequality in medical treatment

Paust A, Vestergaard C, Smith SM, Friis K, Schramm S, Bro F et al. Economic, cultural, and social inequalities in potentially inappropriate medication: A nationwide survey- and register-based study in Denmark. PLOS Medicine. 2024 nov.;21(11):e1004473. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004473.
Paust A, Vestergaard C, Bro F, Mygind A, Utoft NB, Prior A: Unwarranted variation in potentially inappropriate medication prescribing in Danish general practice - a nationwide register-based cohort study. In review.
Paust A, Lau SR, Bro F, Prior A, Mygind A: Temporal capital and unaligned times as inequality mechanisms: A case study of chronic care in general practice. Soc Sci Med. 2023 Dec:338:116337. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116337. Epub 2023 Oct 20.
Sandbaek A, Moller MCR, Bro F, Hoj K, Due Christensen L, Mygind A: Involving patients in medicines optimisation in general practice: a development study of the "PREparing Patients for Active Involvement in medication Review" (PREPAIR) tool. BMC Prim Care. 2022 May 20;23(1):122. doi: 10.1186/s12875-022-01733-8.

2022

Michal Frumer: In the meantime: Tissue changes, anticipation, ethics, and forms of life in diagnostic lung cancer surveillance

Frumer M, Tørring ML, Andersen RS. Temporal curation: curating life in the anticipation of cancer. Anthropol Med. 2024 Dec;31(4):371-387. doi: 10.1080/13648470.2024.2416800.
Frumer M. Keeping an eye on it: infrastrucres of lung cancer uncertainty and certainty’. In: Cancer entangled: anticipation, acceleration and the Danish state. Edited by: Andersen RS and Tørring ML. Rutgers University Press. 2023.
Frumer M, Andersen RS, Vedsted P, Offersen SMH. In the meantime: ordinary life in continuous medical testing for lung cancer. Medicine Anthropology Theory, 8(2), 1-26. June 2021.

2021

Astrid Julie Bønnelykke: Anaemia in general practice. Laboratory testing, diagnostic investigations, and risk of cancer

Boennelykke A, Jensen H, Granfeldt Østgård LS, Falborg AZ, Christensen KS, Hansen AT, Emery J, Vedsted P. Insufficient classification of anaemia in general practice: a Danish register-based observational study. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2021:1–9.
Boennelykke A, Jensen H, Falborg AZ, Granfeldt Østgård LS, Hansen AT, Christensen KS, Vedsted P. Diagnostic workup of cancer in patients with new-onset anaemia: a Danish cohort study in general practice. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2021 Aug 31;1-12.
Boennelykke A, Jensen H, Granfeldt Østgård LS, Falborg AZ, Hansen AT, Christensen KS, Vedsted P. Cancer risk in persons with new-onset anaemia: a population-based cohort study in Denmark. BMC Cancer. 2022 Jul 21;22(1):805.

Ane Bull Iversen: Stroke: symptom awareness, help-seeking behaviour and predictors of prehospital delay

Iversen AB, Blauenfeldt RA, Johnsen SP, Sandal BF, Christensen B, Andersen G, Christensen BM. Understanding the seriousness of a stroke is essential for appropriate help-seeking and early arrival at a stroke centre: a cross-sectional study of stroke patients and their bystanders. Eur Stroke J. 2020 Dec; 5(4): 351-361.
Iversen AB, Johnsen SP, Blauenfeldt RA, Gude MF, Dalby RB, Christensen B, Andersen G, Christensen MB. Help-seeking behaviour and subsequent patient and system delays in stroke. Acta Neurol Scan. 2021 Jun;14:1-11.
Iversen AB, Johnsen SP, Christensen B, Christensen MB, Andersen G. The impact of a Danish national stroke campaign: a cross-sectional study. Acta Neurol Scand. 2021 Sep 14. doi: 10.1111/ane.13531. Online ahead of print.

Nanna Holt Jessen: Exploring diagnostic opportunities to optimise the early detection of abdominal cancer in general practice

Jessen NH, Jensen H, Falborg AZ, Glerup H, Gronbaek H, Vedsted P. Contacts to general practice in the year prior to a diagnosis of an abdominal cancer: a national register-based cohort study. Accepted with minor revisions.

Jessen NH, Jensen H, Falborg AZ, Glerup H, Gronbaek H, Vedsted P. Abdominal investigations in the year preceding a diagnosis of abdominal cancer: a register-based cohort study in Denmark. Cancer Epidemiol. 2021 Mar 6;72:101926. doi: 10.1016/j.canep.2021.101926. Online ahead of print.

Jessen NH, Jensen H, Helsper CW, Falborg AZ, Glerup H, Gronbaek H, Vedsted P. Cancer suspicion, referral to cancer patient pathway and primary care interval: a survey and register study exploring 10 different types of abdominal cancer. Fam Pract. 2021 Apr 27;cmab025. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmab025. Online ahead of print.

Susanne Boel Graversen: Short-term readmission and mortality in older patients discharged after a pneumonia admission

Graversen SB, Pedersen HS, Sandbaek A, Foss CH, Ribe AR. Factors associated with 30-day rehospitalization and mortality in older patients after a pneumonia admission. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2020 Dec;21(12):1869-1878·
Graversen SB, Pedersen HS, Sandbaek A, Foss CH, Palmer VJ, Ribe AR. Dementia and the risk of short-term readmission and mortality after a pneumonia admission. PLoS One. 2021;16(1).
Graversen SB, Pedersen HS, Ribe AR, Foss CH, Sandbaek A. The significance of depression for short-term readmission and mortality after a pneumonia admission. Med Care. 2021 Oct 1;59(10):872-880. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001626.

2020

Morten Fenger-Grøn: Anthropometry, depression and atrial fibrillation risk

Lean body mass is the predominant anthropometric risk factor for atrial fibrillation. Fenger-Grøn M, Overvad K, Tjønneland A, Frost L. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2017 May 23;69(29):2488-2497. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2017.03.558.
Body mass and atrial fibrillation risk: Status of the epidemiology concerning the influence of fat versus lean body mass. Fenger-Grøn M, Vinter N, Frost L. Trends Cardiovasc Med 2019 May 31. pii: S1050-1738(19)30074-X. doi: 10.1016/j.tcm.2019.05.009.
Depression, antidepressants, and the risk of non-valvular atrial fibrillation: A nationwide Danish matched cohort study. Fenger-Grøn M, Vestergaard M, Pedersen HS, Frost L, Parner ET, Ribe AR, Davydow DS. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2019 Jan;26(2):187-195. doi: 10.1177/2047487318811184.
Depression and uptake of oral anticoagulation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation: a Danish nationwide cohort study. Fenger-Grøn M, Vestergaard CH, Frost L, Davydow DS, Parner ET, Christensen B, Ribe AR. Med Care. 2019 Dec 23. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001268. [Epub ahead of print]

2019

Linda Aagaard Rasmussen: Detecting recurrence of cancer and second primary cancer: exploring the role of general practice

A validated algorithm to identify recurrence of bladder cancer – a register-based study in Denmark. Rasmussen LA, Jensen H, Virgilsen LF, Jensen JB, Vedsted P. Clin Epidemiol 2018 Nov 26;10:1755-1763. doi: 10.2147/CLEP.S177305. eCollection 2018.
Time from incident primary cancer until recurrence or second primary cancer: Risk factors and impact in general practice. Rasmussen LA, Jensen H, Virgilsen LF, Falborg AZ, Møller H, Vedsted P. Eur J of Cancer Care (Engl). 2019 Jun 24:e13123. doi: 10.1111/ecc.13123. [Epub ahead of print].
Healthcare utilisation in general practice and hospitals in the year preceding a diagnosis of cancer recurrence or second primary cancer: a population-based register study. Rasmussen LA, Jensen H, Virgilsen LF, Falborg AZ, Møller H, Vedsted P. Accepted for publication in BMC Health Services Research. BMC Health Serv Res. 2019 Dec 5;19(1):941. doi: 10.1186/s12913-019-4757-y.

Dennis Schou Graversen: The quality of out-of-hours telephone triage

Quality of out-of-hours telephone triage by general practitioners and nurses: development and testing of the AQTT - an assessment tool measuring communication, patient safety and efficiency. Graversen DS, Pedersen AF, Carlsen AH, Bro F, Huibers L, Christensen MB. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2019 Mar;37(1):18-29. doi: 10.1080/02813432.2019.1568712. Epub 2019 Jan 28.
Safety and efficiency of telephone triage conducted by general practitioners, nurses, or physicians in out-of-hours primary care: a quasi-experimental study using the AQTT to assess audio-recorded telephone contacts. DS Graversen, MB Christensen, AF Pedersen, AH Carlsen, F Bro, HC Christensen, L Huibers. BMC Fam Pract. 2020 May 9;21(1):84. doi: 10.1186/s12875-020-01122-z.
Communication quality in telephone triage conducted by general practitioners, nurses or physicians: a quasi-experimental study using the AQTT to assess audio-recorded telephone calls to out-of-hours primary care in Denmark. BMJ Open. 2020 Mar 26;10(3):e033528. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033528.

Jonas Boysen Fynboe Ebert: Evaluating the feasibility of the emergency access button in the out-of-hours services in Denmark

Giving callers the option to bypass the telephone waiting line in out-of-hours services: a comparative intervention study. Ebert JF, Huibers L, Christensen B, Lippert FK, Christensen MB. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2019 Mar;37(1):120-127. doi: 10.1080/02813432.2019.1569427. Epub 2019 Feb 2.
Do callers to out-of-hours care misuse an option to jump the phone queue? Ebert JF, Huibers L, Christensen B, Lippert FK, Christensen MB. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2019 Jun;37(2):207-217. doi: 10.1080/02813432.2019.1608067. Epub 2019 May 9.
Ebert JF, Huibers L, Christensen B, Christensen HC, Christensen MB. Does an emergency access button increase the patients’ satisfaction and feeling of safety with the out-of-hours health services? A randomized controlled trial in Denmark. BMJ Open. 2020 Sep 30;10(9):e030267. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030267.

Marie Louise Ladegaard Baun: Earlier detection of ovarian cancer in general practice

Ovarian cancer suspicion, urgent referral and time to diagnosis in Danish general practice: a population-based study. Baun MLL, Jensen H, Falborg AZ, Heje HN, Petersen LK, Vedsted P. Fam Pract. 2019 May 2. pii: cmz013. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmz013. [Epub ahead of print]
Ovarian cancer stage, variation in transvaginal ultrasound examination rates and the impact of an urgent referral pathway: a national ecological cohort study. Ladegaard BML, Falborg AZ, Hjertholm P, Petersen LK, Vedsted P. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2019 Jul 29. doi: 10.1111/aogs.13693. [Epub ahead of print]
Direct access to transvaginal ultrasound through general practice for earlier detection of ovarian cancer: a feasibility study. Baun MLL, Dueholm M, Heje HN, Hamilton W, Petersen LK, Vedsted P. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2021 Jun 7;1-10. doi: 10.1080/02813432.2021.1922831. Online ahead of print.

Bente Kjær Lyngsøe: Maternal depression and offspring health

Attendance of routine childcare visits in primary care for children of mothers with depression: a nationwide population-based cohort study. Lyngsøe BK, Vestergaard CH, Rytter D, Vestergaard M, Munk-Olsen T, Bech BH. Br J Gen Pract. 2018 Feb 1;68(667):e97-104.
Maternal depression and primary healthcare use for children: a population-based cohort study in Denmark. Lyngsøe BK, Rytter D, Munk-Olsen T, Vestergaard CH, Christensen KS, Bech BH. Br J Gen Pract. December 2018: 1-8. BJGP 18x700733.
Maternal depression and childhood injury risk: a population-based cohort study in Denmark. Lyngsøe BK, Munk-Olsen T, Rytter D, Vestergaard CH, Christensen KS, Bech BH. Brain Behav. 2021 Mar;11(3):e02029. doi: 10.1002/brb3.2029. Epub 2021 Jan 15.
Maternal depression and non-specifc health complaints in offspring: a cross-sectional study in Danish primary care. Lyngsøe BK, Rytter D, Munk-Olsen T, Vestergaard CH, Christensen KS, Bech BH. Br J Gen Pract. 2021 Jan 28;71(703):e105-e112. doi: 10.3399/bjgp20X714173.

Karen Busk Nørøxe: Well-being in general practitioners and quality in healthcare

Mental well-being and job satisfaction among general practitioners: a nationwide cross-sectional survey in Denmark. Nørøxe KB, Pedersen AF, Bro F og Vedsted P. BMC Fam Pract. 2018; 19:130. doi: 10.1186/s12875-018-0809-3.
Mental well-being and job satisfaction in general practitioners in Denmark and their patients’ change of general practitioner: a cohort study combining survey data and register data. Nørøxe KB, Vedsted P, Bro F, Carlsen AH, Pedersen AF. BMJ Open. 2019 Nov 5;9(11):e030142. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030142.
Mental well-being, job satisfaction and self-rated workability in general practitioners and hospitalisations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions among listed patients: a cohort study combining survey data on GPs and register data on patients. Nørøxe KB, Pedersen AF, Carlsen AH, Bro F, Vedsted P. BMJ Qual Saf. 2019 Aug 19. pii: bmjqs-2018-009039. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2018-009039. [Epub ahead of print]

Revised 11.11.2025

Lone Niedziella