Meet Dr Søren T. Skou, a physiotherapist by trade, who has grown into a notable researcher in Denmark and internationally. Holding positions as Professor at the University of Southern Denmark and Head of the multiprofessional PROgrez research and implementation unit at Næstved-Slagelse-Ringsted Hospitals, Søren focuses on clinical research, developing and evaluating interventions for those with chronic conditions or at risk of them.

Among others, the recent work in his unit delves into behavioral interventions, delivered both face-to-face and digitally, particularly for individuals dealing with chronic conditions and multimorbidity. Another example of the research from his unit, is a project exploring the integration of virtual meetings among healthcare providers from varied sectors for multimorbidity. All projects prioritize thorough intervention development and user involvement, with a keen eye on implementation potential.

“We do a lot of research in multimorbidity and also a few other studies on coordination of care across sectors, which fits well with the aim of ESCAPE.”

Søren and his team have been involved in the ESCAPE project since its inception and the team is busy recruiting and implementing the RCT at the Danish trial sites. The clinical trial at their site is progressing well, they've hit their recruitment targets, but are continuing to recruit to support ESCAPE’s broader patient goal.

A current challenge Søren sees in healthcare is big gaps between sectors, and between research and practice. “In a silo-based healthcare system with little or no intersectoral coordination of care and often restricted communication across healthcare sectors, the patient is at risk of receiving suboptimal and sometimes even contradictory care.”

This is where ESCAPE comes in, he hopes that ESCAPE will help bridge the gap between healthcare sectors, demonstrating how we can help people with multimorbidity live their lives in better physical and mental health.

“By increasing the communication and coordination between the hospital and the general practitioner, as we do in ESCAPE, we have the chance to improve the quality of care for the individual patient.”

While ESCAPE spans across Europe, within Denmark, Søren sees potential for the ESCAPE BCC intervention to address the fragmented coordination and communication between primary and secondary healthcare services. However, transitioning from clinical trial research to practical implementation will necessitate adaptations to fit local, regional, and national contexts. To ensure contextual relevance, Søren proposes co-developing comprehensive implementation plans with Danish stakeholders. These plans would outline the intervention's opportunities and address potential implementation barriers.

You can learn more about Søren T. Skou and his work through his LinkedIn, X (Twitter) account, or his personal webpage at the University of Southern Denmark. You can also reach him via email at stskou@health.sdu.dk.