The Network is a facilitator for patient and stakeholder involvement in SHARE. The Network representatives participate in national and international program committees as well as contributing to stakeholder gatherings such as annual Network seminars.
Network for Carer Research was established at the University of Stavanger in 2013. In 2018, the coordination of the Network was integrated in the SHARE Centre. Currently, the Network consists of approximately 195 affiliated members with a range of different backgrounds such as researchers, healthcare professionals, and representatives from other stakeholder groups.
The main purpose of the Network is to contribute to development and dissemination of knowledge and competence within the field of informal carer research, by primarily gathering researchers, healthcare professionals, and representatives from other stakeholder groups.
Inger Johanne Bergerød and Cecilie Erga holds the positions as network coordinators, which main task is to follow up on the five - year strategy for the Network. In addition, Eigil Kloster Osmundsen from the Faculty of Health Sciences at UiS supports the coordinators with communication activities, dissemination, and website updates.
The Network has a reference group which consists of informal caregivers, decision makers in the health and welfare services, and representatives with professional and research expertise. The group function as an advisory body in the network’s strategy work, and development of action plans and other activities. The reference group has its own mandate.
Activities in 2023
This year the Network coordinators and reference group has conducted a strategy revision process from April- December 2023, resulting in a revised five year strategy for the Network.
On March 16th the Network hosted a conference in collaboration with The Norwegian alliance for informal Carers, NHO Geneo and Eurocarers. The conference was titled: “From knowledge to action: the changing carer role” and served as the annual Network gathering for 2023. The Minister of Health and Care Services in Norway, Ingvild Kjerkol, gave the opening keynote speech, and the conference had many interesting presentations and enlightening discussions highly relevant for the Network members.
Other activities during the year have been webinars with presentations of research projects from the Networks members. This has been a great way to communicate carer research within the network and facilitate discussions and ideas for collaborations.
Digital National Carer Conference 2023
Network for Carer Research is an organizing partner of the annual National carer conference, and SHARE coordinator Inger Johanne Bergerød has participated in the program committee. The National Carer conference is a collaborative initiative between the following partners: Sanden Media, The Norwegian Federation of Organisations of Disabled People (FFO), Pårørendesenteret, VID Specialized University and Network for Carer Research at the University of Stavanger. In 2023 the conference was organised as a digital event with over 3000 unique logins and 45 gatherings nationwide. The overarching theme of this year’s conference was Pårørende – på liv og død. SHARE had its own local gathering at Campus Ullandhaug
