Bernhard Maria Borgetto

Prof. Dr. habil. Bernhard Maria Borgetto serves as Professor and Head of Faculty at the Faculty of Social Work and Health at HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen, Germany. He also holds the position of Vice Dean and has been instrumental in shaping health promotion and prevention education since joining the institution in 2006.

His educational background includes sociology and economics studies at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main (1985-1989), additional sociology studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem (1989-1990), and doctoral studies at Heidelberg University (1996-1997), where he completed his dissertation on "Coronary Bypass Surgery as a Career Biographical Turning Point." He earned his habilitation in Health Sciences at Bielefeld University in 2004 with the thesis "Healthcare and Community Self-Help: Complementarity, Cooperation, Networking, and Integration."

Prof. Borgetto's research focuses span health promotion and prevention, evidence-based practice (particularly through his work on Pyramid Reviews), occupational and professional research in healthcare, health services research with emphasis on teletherapy and digitalization, and health self-help research. His work bridges medical sociology with practical healthcare applications, addressing both theoretical frameworks and implementation challenges in the German healthcare system.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward digital health interventions, particularly in stroke rehabilitation and speech-language pathology. The research shows increasing emphasis on evidence synthesis methods, with his Pyramid Review methodology gaining prominence as an alternative to traditional evidence hierarchies. His work consistently addresses the professionalization of therapy professions and the integration of self-help structures within formal healthcare systems.

• Since 2019: Alliance for Therapy Professions at Universities, Spokesperson
• Since 2018: University Association of Health Professions (HVG), 1st Chairman
• Since 2017: Cochrane Germany, Stroke Group, Member/Author
• Since 2003: German Society for Social Medicine and Prevention (DGSMP), Member
• Since 1999: German Society for Medical Sociology (DGMS), Member
• Since 1999: German Society for Sociology (DGS), Section of Medical and Health Sociology, Member
• 1999-2012: Deputy Speaker

Prof. Borgetto has been actively involved in advising and shaping healthcare policy, particularly regarding the professionalization of therapy professions. His work through the Alliance for Therapy Professions at Universities has focused on advancing academic training standards. His research grants have primarily supported studies on teletherapy implementation, evidence-based practice methodologies, and self-help organization effectiveness. He has led numerous collaborative projects examining the integration of digital health tools in rehabilitation settings and the professional development pathways for healthcare therapists.

While not leading a specific laboratory, Prof. Borgetto coordinates research activities through the Institute for Health and Social Science Research and Consulting eV, which he has chaired since 2001. His research team includes interdisciplinary collaborators from medical sociology, rehabilitation science, speech-language pathology, and digital health fields. The team has been particularly active in studying post-pandemic adaptations in healthcare delivery, with significant focus on how video-based interventions can maintain therapeutic quality while increasing accessibility.