Kirsti Skavberg Roaldsen

About me

I am a registered physiotherapist since 1982 with expertise in specialized neurological rehabilitation, geriatric medicine, prevention of falls, fear of falling, avoidance of activity, physical activity and health, venous insufficiency, measurement methods, quantitative and qualitative / explorative research approaches. I have my clinical appointment at the Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital in Oslo, Norway since 1983 and have been affiliated to Karolinska Institutet since 2010 and to Oslo Metropolitan University since 2016.

• Associate professor at Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Caring Sciences and Society (50%) (2017-ongoing), Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Department of Research, Oslo (50%) and Oslo Metropolitan University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy (20%) (2016 -ongoing). 
• Deputy leader of the research group of ass prof Malin Nygren-Bonnier and member of the research group of ass prof Erika Franzen, NVS
• Principal investigator of the SCIP FALLS Study, a multicenter Swedish-Norwegian longitudenal study on prevention of falls in patients with spinal cord injury, a cooperation between KI, Rehab Station Stockholm Spinalis and Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital (2012-ongoing)
• Principal investigator of the SINpedSCI study, an international multicenter study on rehabilitation of children and adolescents with spinal cord injury in ten units participating in the Sunnaas International Network in Rehabilitation (SIN) from seven countries; Norway, Sweden, US, Russia, China, Israel and Palestine (2016-2022). A multidiciplinary group of 24 researchers and clinicians are cooperating.
• One of the principle investigators of the StayBalanced study– Prevention of falls in older adults through implementation of evidence based balance training– from clinical research to clinical practice (2015 - ongoing) 
• Coordinator of the research collaboration between Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Norway and Karolinska Institutet (2006-ongoing)

Research description

Current research projects follow four distinct tracks (1); Prevention of falls in persons with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), Parkinson’s Disease, Osteoporosis and in older adults in Norway and Sweden, (2) Physical activity and health in disability/ chronic disease (3) Psychometric properties of measurements in specialized rehabilitation and (4) Psychosocial aspects and rehabilitation services for children and adolocents with SCI in the context of the Sunnaas International Network in Rehabilitation (SIN) - units (Norway, Sweden, China, US, Israel, Palestine and Russia).

http://www.researcherid.com/rid/D-6306-2016

PUBLICATIONS, see reference list. Additional publications, see below. 

Additional publications published and submitted 2014-2019:

Roaldsen KS, Halvarsson A. Reliability of the Swedish version of the Evidence Based Practice Attitude Scale assessing physiotherapist’s attitudes to implementation of evidence based practice. PLOS ONE 2019. Open Access Nov.

Worum H, Lillekroken D, Ahlsen B, Skavberg Roaldsen K, Bergland A. Mobilizing research-based knowledge in fall prevention: A qualitative study of organizational factors of leadership, context and culture. Submitted BMC Health Services, July 2019.

Sellberg M, Skavberg Roaldsen K, Nygren Bonnier M, Halvarsson A. Clinical supervisors’ experience of giving feedback to students during clinical integrated learning. Submitted Physical Therapy Theory and Practice June 2019. Resubmitted Oct 2019.

Worum H, Lillekroken D, Ahlsen B, Skavberg Roaldsen K, Bergland A. Bridging the gap between research-based knowledge and clinical practice: A qualitative examination of patients and physiotherapists’ views on the Otago Exercise Programme. BMC Geriatrics 2019. Open Access Oct 3. https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-019-1309-6

Jørgensen V, Slettahjell HB, Roaldsen KS, Kostovski E. Carboxy Terminal Collagen Crosslinks as additional prognostic fracture risk factor after fall in persons with longstanding spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord 2019. Open Access June 15. https://www-nature-com.proxy.kib.ki.se/articles/s41393-019-0322-0.pdf

Liljequist D, Elfving B, Skavberg Roaldsen K. Intraclass correlation – a discussion and demonstration of basic features. PLOS ONE 2019, Open Access July 22. http://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC6645485&blobtype=pdf. 

Johansson H, Franzén E, Skavberg Roaldsen K, Hagströmer M, Leavy B. Controlling the uncontrollable – perceptions of balance in people with Parkinson’s disease. Physical Therapy 2019 March. https://academic-oup-com.proxy.kib.ki.se/ptj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ptj/pzz117/5552755  

Roaldsen KS, Wakefield E, Opheim A. Pragmatic evaluation of aspects concerning validity and feasibility of the Mini Balance Evaluation System Test (Mini-BESTest) in a specialized rehabilitation hospital. Int J Phys Ther Rehab 2015;2(104):1-6.

Wallén MB, Ståhle A, Hagströmer M, Franzén E, Roaldsen KS. Exercise habits and perceptions of physical activity in older adults. Publication for Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, Publication no MSB669, March 2014, pages 1-31. ISBN 978-91-7383-427-8.

Additional publications published earlier than 1995 (n=4):

Stanghelle J, Helseth R, Roaldsen KS, Rand-Hendriksen S. [42 patients with post-polio syndrome. A retrospective study from Sunnaas hospital]. Tidsskr. Nor. Laegeforen. 1991 Oct;111(26):3159-62.

Stanghelle JK, Winnem M, Roaldsen KS, de Wit S, Notgewisch JH, Nilsen BH. Young patients with Cystic Fibrosis; attitudes towards physical activity and influence on physical fitness and spirometric values of a 2-week training course. Int J Sports Med 1991; suppl 1(9):25:32.

Maehlum S, Roaldsen K, Kolsrud M, Dahl M. [Rehabilitation after stroke]. Tidsskr. Nor. Laegeforen. 1990 Aug;110(20):2657-9.

Stanghelle J, Winnem M, Roaldsen KS, de Wit S, Notgewitch J, Nilsen B. Young patients with cystic fibrosis: attitude toward physical activity and influence on physical fitness and spirometric values of a 2-week training course. Int J Sports Med 1988 Feb;9 Suppl 1():25-31. 

 

Teaching portfolio

2010 Pedagogy Course “Case-based Learning”, Medical Case Center, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Two days course

2011 Supervisor Course ”Doctoral Supervisor Training Course - Introductory”, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. One week course

2014 Supervisor Course “Basic University Teaching, GHP”, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Five weeks course

2015 Supervisor Course “Pedagogy for Research Supervisors”, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm , Sweden. Two weeks course

2017  "Designing Doctoral Courses", Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm , Sweden. Two weeks course 

Since 1993 I have been teaching, examining and supervising at Oslo Akershus University College of Applied Sciences and at Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital. From 2004 and onwards I have been teaching, examining and supervising also at Karolinska Institutet.

My areas of teaching and supervision expertise are the field of physiotherapy, i.e. specialized rehabilitation after spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injury, multi trauma i.e., but also psychometric properties of measurement instruments, venous insufficiency in elderly, balance disorders in elderly, physical activity and prevention of diseases.

My current teaching activity is to some degree at the Physiotherapy program at Karolinska Institutet and to a greater degree at the Department of Physiotherapy at Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Oslo, Norway. The duties include the main responsibilities for supervision of students at PhD and master levels at Sunnaas, Oslo Akershus University College of Applied Sciences and PhD, master and Bachelor levels at Karolinska Institutet, conduct research according to own research plan, contribute to the assessment and development of new research projects at Sunnaas, develop research applications at Sunnaas, develop curriculums and teach physiotherapists at Sunnaas to supports PT’s to deliver high quality, evidence-based practice, and teach selected topics at Karolinska Institutet, Division of Physiotherapy.

Teaching comprises a total of 1280 hours (Dec 2016) including time devoted to planning, of which 41% at undergraduate level, 15% at graduate level, 39 % at postgraduate level and 5% other instructional time.

 

Education

1977 Biochemistry technician, Tromsø Vocational School

1981  Bachelor in Physiotherapy, Bergen University College, Norway

1989  Master of Arts (Candidata magisterii) in Sociology, University of Oslo, Norway

1994  Master of Science in Physiotherapy, University of Bergen, Norway

2009 Doctoral degree, Karolinska Institutet

2016 Assocate professor at Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital and Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway

2017 Associate professor Karolinska Institutet