Basic Information

Name: Eirik Ofstad
Title: Chief consultant/assoc. professor
Institution: Uit The Arctic University
Discipline: Medicine
Years of experience: 15

Description

Three keywords describing expertise and interest:

1. Decision-making
2. Medical uncertainty

Description of field of expertise, major interests, and consultation topics:

Patient-physician communication – I have experience in qualitative analyses of dialog, from more open approaches to coding of predetermined subjects. Special interest in clinical decision-making, medical uncertainty and shared-decision making. Also interested in efficiency of communication, agenda-setting, use of empathy and structure (or lack of it and what it leads to).

Brief biography:

45 years, married, wife works as GP, 2 kids – 15 and 12 years old. Worked as physician since 2007. Now specialist in general internal medicine and emergency medicine. Works as chief consultant (50%) in the Emergency Department of Nordland Hospital, Bodø, Norway (above the arctic circle). Started PhD 50% in 2010. Analysed how clinical decisions were communicated in 380 patient-physician encounters in hospital. Postdoc 50% 2016-22. Other research projects: mentoring medical students, medical uncertainty and how physicians deal with it, shared decision-making in hospital encounters, student tracking (what do they become and where do they settle). 20% position as associate professor at UiT the Arctic University of Norway, where I teach communication skills, professional development, point of care ultra sound, emergency medicine and more. Co-founder and co-owner of a brewery in Bodø, which also takes up some of my time.