Focus of Scientific Research and Development are as follows:

• Conducting high-quality scientific research in intra- and inter-disciplinary collaboration at national and international levels.
• Investigating clinical questions based on the needs of the speciality – and applying research results to develop person-centered, sustainable, and innovative primary care services.
• Engaging end-users (primary care specialists, primary health care institutions, patients) to achieve effectiveness in the field of research and development.
• Collaborating with various stakeholders like the Health Insurance Fund and the Ministry of Social Affairs for evidence-based professional development.
• Involving master’s students in health sciences to conduct scientific research in the field of primary health care.
• Making the results of the completed scientific research accessible to primary care specialists, stakeholders, decision-makers, and the public through the ETTH-UR website.

Ongoing Project

Foot Health Management for Patients with Chronic Diseases in Estonian Primary Health Care (01.09.25-31.08.2029). Doctoral Thesis. Additional information: ETIS. Principal investigator Maria Suits, Sirje Sammul (2. Supervisor).

Ongoing Applied Research

1) Family nurses’ self-assessed competence and development needs and family doctors’ expectations regarding family nurses’ development needs in Estonian primary healthcare settings, and the development of new teaching and working tools for patient counseling (01.01.2023–31.12.2026). 

Additional information: ETIS. 

The main topics of research and development are as follows: 

• Family nurses’ self-assessed competence and development needs in Estonian primary healthcare – questionnaire survey (approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Tartu, protocol no. 393/T-13, October 2024). Research period: October 2024 to April 2025. Research publication: June 2025 to April 2026. Researchers: Sirje Sammul (lead researcher), Gerli Mõts, Haide Laurson. 
• Family doctors’ expectations of family nurses in Estonian primary health care – qualitative study (approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Tartu, protocol no. 400/T-17, initial application May 2025; follow-up application October 2025). Research period May to September 2025, and October to December 2025. Research publication 2026. Researchers: Sirje Sammul (responsible), Haide Laurson, Marika Rosin 
• Psychometric evaluation of a self-efficacy measure for chronic disease – 33-question Estonian version among patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes (approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Tartu, protocol no. 393/T-3). The research will take place between October 2024 and June 2025. Publication between September 2025 and April 2026. Researchers: Haide Laurson, Evelyn Joost, Merje Lehtmets, Sirje Sammul (responsible).
• E-learning tool for comprehensive assessment and intervention by family nurses for adult patients diagnosed with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Development from November 2024 to August 2025. Creation of the learning e-tool in the Moodle environment from October to December 2025. Researchers: Marika Rosin, Janely Toomsalu, Sirje Sammul (responsible). 

Student Theses Related to Applied Research

Bachelor’s level nursing curriculum student theses:

• Defended in 2025. Cheliin-Carmen Jürgen thesis: “Background Factors of Family Nurse’s Self-Evaluated Competence and the Benefits of Analyzing Development Needs for Professional Self-Development.”

2) Implementation of midwifery care and factors influencing it in Estonian primary health care centers – a combined method applied research (2025–2027). 

The main topics of research and development are as follows: 

Part I: Implementation of midwifery services in Estonian primary health care centers: a quantitative study among midwives (TÜ Human Research Ethics Committee approval no. 405/T-8, November 2025). Research period: November 2025 to March 2026. 

Popularization of Science

• November 2025: Oral presentation at the annual conference of the Heart Clinic of Tartu University Hospital: The involvement of nurses in research activities based on the example of the primary healthcare research group and opportunities for further study at the Tartu Applied Health Sciences University. Sirje Sammul (presenter) (Tartu, Estonia) 
• October 2025: Oral presentation at the 3rd International Scientific Conference of Primary Care: The content and effectiveness of home-based services for patients with chronic heart failure: evidence from randomized controlled trials. Sirje Sammul (presenter). Co-author Mari-Liis Pristavka (Ljubljana, Slovenia, Ljubljana University). 
• September 2025: Oral presentation at the conference of the European Forum of Primary Care: Assessing leadership competencies and development needs of primary health care nurses in Estonia (Vienna, Austria, Vienna University). 

Master’s Theses Related to the Research Group in Health Sciences:

Ongoing Research:

• Kadi-Liis Roosimaa – Implementation of the Family Nursing Guidelines in Estonia by family nurses and factors that promote and hinder this – quantitative research. Research supervisor Sirje Sammul 
• Marili Suits – Implementation of the School Nursing Guidelines (2020) and related obstacles among nurses providing school health services in Estonia: a quantitative cross-sectional study. Research supervisor Sirje Sammul 
• Natalja Hirvi – Patient risk assessment triage system in primary health care – a systematic review. Research supervisor Reet Urban 
• Tuuli Kossal – Effectiveness of e-technology solutions in shaping awareness and attitudes towards HPV vaccination among 12-25-year-olds – a systematic review. Research supervisor Sirje Sammul.

Completed Research:

• 2025 Marili Lipp Master’s thesis “Experiences, expectations, and needs of family nurses who have recently completed the nursing curriculum for working as family nurse, based on the example of family nurses working in South Estonia – a qualitative study.” Supervisor Sirje Sammul.
• 2025 Anastassia Jasevitš Master’s thesis “Family nurses’ self-assessed knowledge, skills and attitudes in analyzing and advising on nutrition-related information using the NUTCOMP measure among adults diagnosed with hypertension in Estonia“. Supervisor Sirje Sammul.
• 2025 Kairi Sokk Master’s thesis “Opinions and experiences of parents of children receiving home enteral nutrition services at Tartu University Hospital in deciding on gastrostomy: a phenomenological study”. Supervisor Sirje Sammul.
• 2024 Mari-Liis Pristavka, Anne Hämäläinen development project “Home service provided by a cardiology nurse for patients diagnosed with chronic heart failure”. Supervisor Sirje Sammul.

Contact: Sirje Sammul, PhD: Senior Lecturer at Tartu Health Care College (sirje.sammul@tartuh.ee)