Karen Andersen-Ranberg

Karen Andersen-Ranberg is a Clinical Professor at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), affiliated with the Department of Public Health and the Research Unit of Geriatrics at Odense University Hospital (OUH). She holds a dual role as a Consultant in Geriatrics, combining clinical work (20%) with research (80%). Her academic base is within the Faculty of Health Sciences, where she has been engaged since 2003 in a part-time research associate professor role, progressing to Clinical Professor. She is actively involved in aging research, particularly through the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).

• MD, University of Copenhagen, 1983
• Specialist in Internal and Geriatric Medicine, 1992
• PhD, University of Southern Denmark, 2001 – thesis on centenarians
• Senior Lecturer, University of Southern Denmark, 2000–2002
• Research Associate Professor (part-time), 2003–present

Her research focuses on the epidemiology of aging, particularly centenarians and the oldest-old, with an emphasis on health trajectories and functional outcomes in European populations. She investigates preventive geriatrics and telehealth interventions to reduce acute hospital admissions among older adults. Her work spans public health, clinical geriatrics, and digital health innovation. Key themes include frailty, care transitions, and health equity in aging.

Recent publications highlight trends in hospital readmission among nursing home residents, digital decision support tools for community nurses (e.g., PATINA, GERI-toolbox), and social determinants of health and vaccine uptake in older Europeans. Her research increasingly integrates digital health technologies and intersectoral collaboration to improve elder care outcomes.

She is an active member of the European Union of Geriatric Medicine (EUGMS) and has contributed to national and international projects on aging. Her public engagement includes frequent media contributions on elder care policy in Denmark.

Karen Andersen-Ranberg supervises PhD students and leads or participates in multiple funded research projects. She has been involved in grant-funded initiatives such as SHARE-DEV3 and the G-UD trial on post-discharge follow-up. Her work emphasizes translating research into practice through feasible, person-centered interventions in primary and long-term care settings.

She is involved in several research teams and projects focused on improving elder care, including:

• PATINA: Developing a decision support algorithm for community nurses to prevent hospital admissions
• GERI-toolbox: Testing a digital health assessment tool for primary care
• G-UD Trial: Evaluating cross-sectoral follow-up after geriatric hospital discharge
• A Meaningful Everyday Life: Adapting person-centered care in nursing homes