Marit Solbjør

Marit Solbjør is Professor in the Department of Public Health and Nursing at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Her research centers on health sociology, specializing in medical screening programs, cancer care pathways, and user involvement in health services using qualitative methodologies. She currently leads a project exploring men's views on prostate cancer diagnostics and artificial intelligence, building on her completed 2021 study of cancer patient pathway experiences.

Education:

• PhD in Sociology (research on women's experiences with mammography screening)

Research Interests:

Professor Solbjør's work critically examines patient experiences in healthcare systems through medical sociology and qualitative lenses. Key areas include screening program participation (mammography, colorectal cancer), sociotechnical implications of AI in diagnostics, user participation mechanisms, and psychosocial aspects of long-term sickness absence. Her research consistently addresses equity issues, healthcare access barriers for immigrants, and ethical challenges in technology-driven care, emphasizing how organizational structures shape patient-professional interactions.

Publication Trends:

Her 2021-2024 publications reveal intensifying focus on AI integration in prostate cancer diagnostics and ethical dilemmas in decision-making tools, alongside persistent investigation of cancer screening access and patient pathway experiences. Recent work increasingly analyzes sociotechnical imaginaries among stakeholders while maintaining strong occupational health threads examining return-to-work interventions and sick-leave experiences through qualitative and mixed-methods approaches.

Scientific Awards:

No scientific awards were documented in the provided materials.

Advising and Grants:

• Supervised project on long-term sick-leave experiences
• Principal Investigator: Men's views on prostate cancer diagnostics and AI (current)
• Project Leader: Cancer patient pathway experiences study (completed 2021)
• Contributed to multiple RCTs on motivational interviewing for return-to-work interventions

Labs and Teams:

Solbjør collaborates with interdisciplinary teams across NTNU's medical faculty, sociologists, healthcare professionals, and computer scientists. Her projects involve partnerships with hospitals (e.g., Øya helsehus), social insurance institutions, and international researchers, particularly in AI healthcare applications and cancer screening equity studies.