About our collaboration

On-going

International

Duke University / Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy (USA)

GPCC collaborates with Duke University and the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy on the development of value-based healthcare models grounded in person-centred care. The collaboration focuses on aligning outcomes that matter to persons with sustainable financing, policy frameworks, and system-level implementation, bridging research, policy, and practice.

University of Sydney / Sydney Policy Lab (Australia)

Together with the University of Sydney and the Sydney Policy Lab, GPCC explores person-centred governance and innovative policy approaches. The collaboration emphasises co-creation with citizens, professionals, and decision-makers, aiming to strengthen democratic capacity, accountability, and trust in health and social welfare systems.

Swinburne University of Technology and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Australia)

GPCC collaborates with Swinburne University of Technology and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre on precision health in oncology, with a strong focus on person-centred pathways and outcomes. The partnership includes joint research initiatives and post-doctoral training, supporting capacity building at the intersection of advanced clinical science and person-centred care.

Navarra University (Spain)

The cooperation Agreement between GPCC and the University of Navarra is a partnership that brings together strong expertise in person-centred care and informal care—including family caregiving and community support—with a shared commitment to advancing person-centred care in education, research, and practice.

Plymouth University (United Kingdom)

GPCC’s collaboration with Plymouth University addresses equitable healthcare for persons who are outside or marginalised by existing health and welfare systems. The work focuses on person-centred approaches to inclusion, access, and continuity of care, with particular attention to social vulnerability and structural barriers.

European Social Network (Europe)

GPCC collaborates with the European Social Network to support knowledge exchange, policy dialogue, and capacity building across European health and social care systems. The partnership strengthens the integration of person-centred principles in social services, leadership, and system transformation at a European level.

Sweden University Forum - SASUF and Stellenbosch University (South Africa)

Researchers from GPCC are collaborating with researchers in South Africa in a project that will help children communicate symptoms from their own perspective. The purpose is to facilitate person-centred care. This collaboration takes place within the framework of South Africa – Sweden University Forum (SASUF). In collaboration with Stellenbosch University, GPCC contributes to research and practice development in early intervention and infant and child mental health through the Mental Health Public Squares initiative. The partnership focuses on integrated, family-centred, and context-sensitive approaches to mental health promotion and early support. More about GPCC's collaboration with South Africa.

The International Community of Practice for Person-centred Practice PcP ICoP (Global) 

PcP ICoP is an international community, mainly of academics who are interested in advancing knowledge in the field of person-centred practice. ‘Practice’ is here taken as being in any field: care, education, research, management, policy and so on. The ICoP is hosted by Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh and co-ordinated by Professor Brendan McCormack. 

More Home Dialysis for better health, quality of life and cost control (Scandinavia)

More Homedialysis is a Scandinavian project, funded by Interreg ÖKS (co-funded by EU), where products, services and models to increase home dialysis are developed and tested in Norway, Denmark and Sweden. A number of regions and academic and business partners collaborate in this project. Through person-centred care, cross-border collaboration and health innovations, the aim is to provide people with kidney failure, relatives, care operations and decision-makers with preconditions, knowledge and tools to increase dialysis at home. 

National/Regional

Living and policy lab for person-centred care
Living and policy lab for person-centred care is a joint initiative between academia, municipalities, business and research actors. The goal is to develop the future of care through co-creation in research, innovation, education and implementation.

The OMTÄNKT (RETHINK) Change Alliance

The OMTÄNKT (RETHINK) Change Alliance includes three regions, 25 municipalities, the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), the National Board of Health and Welfare and patient and professional associations, with expertise and project management from GPCC and Experio Lab and Karlstad University Samhällsnytta AB. The ambition is that this broad collaboration will strengthen both research and development and, in the long run, increased societal impact, amongst other activities by enabling work with, for example, policy labs.

The Swedish branch of International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services (HPH)

The Swedish network for Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services (HPH) consists of Sweden's regions and is part of the international HPH network, which was initiated by WHO in 1993. Our collaboration projects:

• A training material on Health promoting care meetings is being developed 2025-2026.
• The PCC game (Person-Centred Care Game), a free app for smartphones and tablets, which was developed in both Swedish and English. The game could be downloaded for free on the App Store and Google Play between 2017-2024.

The Swedish Disability Rights FederationThe Swedish Disability Rights Federation consists of 54 national disability and patient and relatives/carers organisations with about 400 000 individual members. Our collaboration projects:

• An ongoing campaign to inform about the Swedish Patient Law.
• A free on-line course in person-centred care primarily aimed at patients and relatives/carers.

The Swedish Association of Health Professionals

The Swedish Association of Health Professionals is a trade union and professional organisation with 117 000 members and student members of four registered professions; nurses, midwives, biomedical scientists and radiographers. Our collaboration projects:

• A free study circle aimed at any health care staff group.
• The Swedish Association of Health Professionals’ Leadership programme.

The City of Helsingborg Municipal Care

The knowledge of how municipal health and social care can become more person-centred, and how this can be evaluated, is currently very limited. The City of Helsingborg is going to train all its health and social care staff in person-centred care through an online course followed by discussions, to build an understanding and consensus around person-centred care among managers and employees at all levels within the administration. GPCC will therefore study the training initiative, with the intention of monitoring how the training is implemented, and what it means for leaders and staff within the organization, as well as for users of the services. More information about the project.

Previous collaborations

International

Standard for patient participation in person-centred care

In 2016 GPCC initiated a European standardisation process with the aim of facilitating the implementation of, work with and research on person-centred care. Ten active member countries took part during the entire process, including France, Norway, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and Austria. In June 2020 a European standard CEN/TC 450 was adopted. The standard is entitled Patient involvement in healthcare - Minimum requirements for person-centred care, and it is the first in Europe in its field. During 2025 the standard was being revised. More information about the standard.

CostCares

Senior Professor Inger Ekman, former GPCC Centre Director, chaired CostCares, a COST Action which involved 28 European countries that aimed to design, evaluate and secure financing for different healthcare systems, and to test person-centred care in different countries in Europe with different healthcare systems. The aim of the experimental healthcare systems was to generate data on how future healthcare should be developed to deliver high quality care and at the same time be affordable for individuals and society. Information about the CostCares project, results and links.

We Care

CostCares was a continuation of the We Care project, which was also chaired by Inger Ekman. The aim for We Care was to formulate a plan for how research and innovation in healthcare can contribute to high quality care and reduced healthcare costs. The project resulted in a document called We Care Strategy Plan and R&D Roadmap. Information about this was published in The Lancet and BMJ. Information about the We Care project, and links to the Roadmap document and articles.

National

The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR)

All of Sweden's municipalities and regions are members of SALAR. Together with SALAR we developed evidence-based self-study materials in Swedish aimed at groups of colleagues in health and care settings. These also contained illustrations created by Pamela Lindgren, designer and former member of GPCC:s Person Council for patients and relatives/carers. They were distributed to SALAR:s members and are available to download cost-free.

• How can conversations in healthcare and care be made more person-centred? A material for information and reflection that links to relevant research.
• Support for dialogue about person-centred care. A discussion material that highlights common beliefs about person-centred care and links them to relevant research.

Local

Sahlgrenska University Hospital (SU) and Röhsska Museum of Art and Design

Together with SU and Röhsska we developed an interactive multimedia exhibition in a disused ward at SU/Östra Hospital. The target group for this unique exhibition was health care staff. Ubuntu an exhibition about person-centred care | Centre for Person-centred Care - GPCC, University of Gothenburg

Advisors

Person Council for Patients and Relatives/Carers

The GPCC Person Council for patients and carers consists of a group of persons with many years of personal experiences of Swedish health care, either as patients and/or relatives/carers (or both). The aim of this Council is to validate GPCC's activities and research from a patient and/or relative/carer perspective, as well as receive the council members input, and to co-create ideas, content and activities related to person-centred care. Information about the Person Council.

Scientific Advisors

We have international scientific advisors who are experts in a range of relevant fields. Read more about them here.