Prof. Dr. Christoph Ostgathe

Department for Palliative Medicine

Regarding MedTech research, our main focus is a touchless and burden-free assessment of biomarkers, which are objective and quantifiable, e.g. radar-based detection of heartbeat and breathing as well as AI-applications for both clinical routine data and experimental data as the aforementioned radar-based biomarkers. We underpin our MedTech research with another scientific core competency of our research department: research into ethical, legal, and social aspects and implications. We address social aspects with a strong background in healthcare research and a mixed-methods approach. To study ethical and legal aspects we have established close collaborations with research partners.

Research projects

  • Radar-based vital parameter assessment: using six-port interferometry we detect biomarkers, e.g. pulse wave, heart sounds, thoraxic excursions by breathing;
  • As tertiary data we derive heart rate variability from heart rate over time AI-based analyses: using methods based on learning algorithms, e.g. rule mining we analyse structured and unstructured clinical routine data
  • Experimental data Health App-Research: first health market prototypes for assessment, monitoring and improving health and patient care

  • Enhancing palliative care in ICU

    (Third Party Funds Group – Sub project)

    Overall project: Enhancing palliative care in ICU
    Term: 1. January 2024 - 31. December 2028
    Funding source: EU / Cluster 1.3: Non-Communicable and Rare Diseases
    URL: https://www.palliativmedizin.uk-erlangen.de/forschung/versorgungsforschung/epic-enhancing-palliative-care-in-icu/

    About 10% of all decedents in the population die after admission to an intensive care unit (ICU). These patients often have distressing symptoms and may receive more intense life-prolonging treatment than they would have chosen, their family members often experience lasting distress from the experience and many ICU physicians and nurses are burdened by their perception of potentially non-beneficial care.

    The EPIC project aims to sustainably improve palliative care for critically ill patients and their families in the ICU. An interdisciplinary consortium collaborates to provide a novel harmonized palliative care practice model using telemedicine. The project is the first European interventional study on palliative care in the ICU, using a systems-based approach with proactive patient identification, checklist and blended learning targeted to specific requirements of ICU clinicians. Effectiveness of the new model is assessed through a stepped wedge randomized trial with 7 clinical centers from 5 European countries, 23 multi-disciplinary ICUs and enrolment of 2001 patients. Primary outcome is a reduction in ICU stay to relieve suffering. Cost implications and cost effectiveness will be assessed from different perspectives. An evidence-based patient decision aid for critically ill patients is developed. Additional outcomes serve deepen our understanding of barriers and facilitators and provide ethical recommendations for the use of telepalliative care in civic society.

    The vision of EPIC is to contribute to a mind shift from a narrow focus on prolonging life towards more holistic care. A European patient and family advisory group is implemented to engage patients and family members from the start and co-create open-access information to increase acceptance of palliative care. Telemedicine offers a low-cost solution to spread the model to all regions in Europe and open new avenues for patient-centered care.

  • Erschließung des transformativen Anwendungspotentials von TEAM-X in der palliativen Versorgung

    (Third Party Funds Group – Sub project)

    Overall project: Trusted Ecosystem of Applied Medical Data eXchange
    Term: 1. January 2022 - 31. March 2025
    Funding source: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz (BMWK)
    URL: https://www.palliativmedizin.uk-erlangen.de/forschung/klinisch-experimentelle-forschung/team-x/
  • Empathokinästhetische Messung und Bewegungsmustererkennung als Biomarker für Gesundheitszustand

    (Third Party Funds Group – Sub project)

    Overall project: Empathokinästhetische Sensorik
    Term: 1. July 2021 - 30. June 2025
    Funding source: DFG / Sonderforschungsbereich (SFB)
    URL: https://www.empkins.de/

    D05 erforscht bei Palliativpatienten für Gesundheitszustand, Befinden und Prognose erstmals Bewegungen als Biomarker, d. h. objektivierbare, messbare und quantifizierbare Parameter, die eine diagnostische und prädiktive Bedeutung haben. Diese Biomarker werden in Labor und Living Lab der Palliativstation mit Patientinnen und Patienten untersucht. Berührungslose Sensorik erlaubt erstmals einen wissenschaftlichen Zugang zur letzten Lebensphase. Ebenso erforscht D05 sozialwissenschaftliche Herausforderungen medizintechnologischer Innovationen in der Palliativmedizin prototypisch für alle Gesundheitsbereiche.

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

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