PD Dr. Rachel Sommer and her research group investigate the subjectively experienced health of people with skin diseases, taking into account physical, psychological and social aspects. People-centered health care as demanded by the World Health Organization is the focus of her research.
- Here, one research area is the development and validation of measurements to characterize subjective burden such as sexual impairments and perceived stigmatization, patient needs and treatment outcomes such as wellbeing and quality of life.
- The research group conducts epidemiological, clinical and health care services studies in which these measurements are used nationally and internationally.
- Another focus is the development and evaluation of interventions aiming to strengthen people-centred care and the health and wellbeing of people with visible chronic skin diseases.
Academic career
Since September 2016, PD Dr. Rachel Sommer has been working as a researcher at the Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and the Nursing Professions (IVDP) at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). She studied Public Health and Epidemiology at the Hogeschool Zuyd (NL) and the Charité Berlin. In 2015, she completed her PhD at the Department for Medical Psychology at the UKE on the quality of life in rare pediatric diseases. In 2021, she completed her habilitation (assistant professorship) in health services research. At the IVDP, she leads the research group "People-Centered Health Care".
