General practice holds a central position in understanding and addressing health inequalities. At the Research Unit for General Practice, a dedicated research group investigates the causes, consequences and potential solutions to inequalities in health.
The research spans a range of health conditions and focuses particularly on our understanding of social inequalities and developing methods to study them. A shared objective is to generate knowledge that can help reduce the adverse health consequences of inequality. The research encompasses both the social gradient in health and the challenges faced by vulnerable patients, with particular attention to those seen in general practice.
The group also investigates geographical inequalities in health, including the implications of the ‘inverse care law’, i.e. the availability of good-quality healthcare tends to vary inversely with the needs of the population: those with the greatest health needs often have the fewest healthcare resources available. In this context, general practice plays a crucial role in ensuring accessible and equitable healthcare.
Health inequalities arise from multiple and interconnected factors, including childhood conditions, education, housing, employment and access to healthcare. When social circumstances influence the risk of illness and the ability to recover, research is needed to understand how healthcare systems can best be organised and how collaboration across sectors can be strengthened.
The group applies both qualitative and quantitative research methods, drawing on perspectives from medicine, epidemiology, anthropology and psychology. Through close collaboration with national and international research partners, the group contributes to developing knowledge and approaches that can support more equitable healthcare in Danish general practice.
