Research at the Gerhard Kienle Chair
Research specialisations
The Gerhard Kienle Chair of Medical Theory, Integrative and Anthroposophic Medicine conducts research in a variety of areas. It also competes for public funding (e.g., from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space; the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture; and the Innovation Fund of the Joint Federal Committee) and publishes numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals.
Digitalisation and children's health
Presentation of the scientific work as part of the multi-study complex on the topic of digitalisation and childhood
Research objectives: Primary prevention and treatment of the risks of screen media on the health of unborn and growing children, as well as adolescents up to adulthood.
Background: Children's screen time is high worldwide. Academic studies have already found a number of negative consequences for the health and development of children, especially young children, who have a high level of screen media consumption. Parents are often unaware of the effects of digital devices or have difficulties guiding age-appropriate media use. This is where our action research studies come in with interventions to sensitise and create media awareness among parents and children.
Current projects:
AWMF guideline on the prevention of dysregulated screen use in childhood and adolescence
Completed projects:
Fever and antibiotic resistance
Currently, in most countries, too many antibiotics and antipyretics are still administered for acute infections and children are presented too often to emergency services. This reflects a discrepancy between guidelines and reality. To address this problem, we have developed the FeverApp and the FeverApp register study as well as an AWMF guideline as part of a BMBF-funded project. We provide interested doctors in private practice with access to the FeverApp for their patients.
Current projects:
Completed projects:
Information systems in integrative medicine
Traditional methods and information systems are also used in integrative medicine. For example, we focus on registers and 'Ecological Momentary Assessment' with apps developed in-house. With our medical informatics expertise, which also includes the introduction of archive systems or hospital information systems, we can also support other projects.
Research and teaching in integrative medicine at our Chair are flanked by a scientific library and an electronic database. We would like to offer literature and information to people interested in integrative medicine. The database offered here also makes over 100,000 data records available without having to register.
Current projects:
Complementary Medicine Library and Cambase
PlantaMedia® - Internet database and online encyclopaedia of useful, aromatic and medicinal plants
Integrative health promotion
Integrative health promotion views people as evolving beings and understands their processes of change and crisis as an expression of individual biographical development that needs to be recognised, understood and appropriately supported.
Current projects:
Integrative type 1 diabetology
In addition to classic health literacy with the aspects of functional, communicative, interactive and critical health literacy, integrative type 1 diabetes includes the dimensions of self-regulation, self-awareness and the proactive handling of health, individual biographical development and spiritual competence. The research specialisation is looking for tools and methods to promote and develop integrative health literacy in a secondary preventive way for people with chronic diseases. Integrative health literacy involves taking responsibility for one's own health as well as at the societal level (patient participation in research)
To the overview page Integrative type 1 diabetology
Current projects:
Mind-body medicine
Non-pharmacological interventions:
Investigations into interventional possibilities of non-pharmacological therapy methods from the field of mind-body medicine (e.g. yoga, meditation, eurythmy therapy, tango) in order to influence the disease management and recovery resources of chronically ill patients and to contribute to improving their quality of life and life satisfaction. The long-term goal is therefore for the patient (against a background of increased self-control and self-management) to experience themselves again as actively shaping their life - possibly even with existing symptoms of illness. The subject areas were developed in order to be able to offer prevention programmes for groups of people under stress. Measuring instruments were developed and made available for specific issues (e.g. Inner Congruence, Cool Down Index).
Current projects:
Naturopathy, homeopathy and potentised substances
A variety of therapeutic treatment methods within the framework of natural healing methods, including the use of phytotherapeutic preparations (plant extracts), are therapeutic options for a wide range of medical indications as part of modern medicine. We conduct preclinical and clinical research projects on the effect, efficacy and safety of various approaches in these areas. We would like to present relevant data from the evaluation approaches of evidence-based medicine.
Current projects:
Materia medica in problem-orientated learning (POL)
Completed projects:
One Health
Spirituality and coping
Transdisciplinary research into the complex interrelationships that contribute to illness management and recovery, in particular the individual's own spirituality and search for meaning. As the conceptualisations and meanings of the multidimensional construct of spirituality differ significantly depending on the cultural context, specific questionnaire instruments were developed and made available to measure this. In particular, the research topic of spiritual needs and spiritual dryness as a specific form of spiritual crisis is a focal point.
Current projects: