PhD, M.Sc. (Econ), M.A., FHEA
Reader in Health Service Research
Office: Ormskirk campus, H005
Email: kaehnea@edgehill.ac.uk
Phone: 01695 657233
Biography
Axel was born and educated in Berlin (Germany) at Free University and Humboldt University and subsequently studied at Aberdeen University and the University of Wales. He settled in South Wales in 1996. In 2005 he took up a position of Research Fellow at the School of Medicine, Cardiff University and joined Edge Hill as a Senior Research Fellow in April 2013. He was appointed Reader in Health Service Research in 2016 and is currently Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Integrated Care
Research Interests
Axel has designed and delivered evaluations of health improvement programmes in England and Wales and is also member of the Children’s Nursing Research Unit at Alder Hey, the Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Axel has an interest in programme evaluations, evaluation methodologies and quantitative and qualitative approaches to research. Leading on from his work in intellectual disabilities, he has developed a research focus on multiagency work, service integration and partnerships in health services for patients with complex health care needs. More recently he has written on complexity and complex adaptive systems as evaluative frameworks to assess health service programmes and patient outcomes.
He leads the Special Interest Group for Integrated Care of the European Health Management Association and works with colleagues across England to establish a Integrated Care Researcher Network.
Research Projects (PI, externally funded)
Rapid Review – Transition for Young People with Learning Disabilities, Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Welsh Government
Evaluation of the Cheshire and Merseyside Maternity Vanguard, CCG Halton
Evaluation of the Neuro Network Vanguard Cheshire and Merseyside, The Walton Centre (Aintree Hospital)
Evaluation of Leading Change Adding Value – A Framework for Nursing, Midwifery and Care Staff (PI: Prof Jeremy Brown)
Evaluation of Forerunner. A Pharmacy-supported Medication Administration System in Hospital Wards, HEE England
Evaluation of the Healthy Liverpool Programme (Children’s Services), CCG Liverpool
Evaluation of an Acute Visiting Scheme, St Helens CCG
NHS Health Education North West – Systematic Review of Access to Healthcare Education
Consultancy
Data Analysis of UCAS and HESA data sets, Health Education England
Evaluation of Project Search UK, SWEI and NHS South West
Post-Graduate Supervision and Teaching
Axel is teaching Research Methodologies, Quantitative Approaches and Statistics/SPSS on the MCh and MRes course in the faculty and supervises currently three PhD students and several Master’s students.
Axel is leading a module in Strategic Clinical Leadership and the dissertation module for the MCh (taught) degree.
To view Axel’s full research profile, click here.