Institut für Medizinsoziologie, Versorgungsforschung und Rehabilitationswissenschaft (IMVR)

What Institut für Medizinsoziologie, Versorgungsforschung und Rehabilitationswissenschaft (IMVR) does

IMVR (Institut für Medizinsoziologie, Versorgungsforschung und Rehabilitationswissenschaft) is a joint scientific institute of the Faculty of Human Sciences and the Medical Faculty of the University of Cologne, founded in 2009 by Prof. Dr. em. Holger Pfaff as a bridge institute (Brückeninstitut) between the two faculties. It operates three chaired positions — Medical Sociology (Prof. Dr. Lena Ansmann, established Feb 2023), Health Services Research (Prof. Dr. Nicole Ernstmann, established Nov 2022), and Rehabilitation Science (Vertr.-Prof. Dr. Christian Heuser, acting from Apr 2025) — and is staffed by approximately 18 researchers and support staff. The institute conducts empirical health services research using mixed-methods approaches, combining qualitative reconstructive methods (grounded theory, documentary method, objective hermeneutics) with quantitative survey work, including the longitudinal EMMA-NRW breast cancer patient survey (~5,000 patients annually since 2006) administered via the validated Cologne Patient Questionnaire (KPF) instruments.

Name

Institut für Medizinsoziologie, Versorgungsforschung und Rehabilitationswissenschaft (IMVR)

Legal name

Institut für Medizinsoziologie, Versorgungsforschung und Rehabilitationswissenschaft (IMVR)

Website

https://imvr.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IMVR is a University of Cologne research institute conducting health services research, medical sociology, and rehabilitation science, funded primarily through public grants from DFG, BMBF, G-BA, and Deutsche Krebshilfe, and serves healthcare organizations, patients, and university students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Services Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHABAC

Health & Biomedical Research Universities (Academic Medical Center–Affiliated)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Private Research Universities

Keywords

• Health services research
• Medical sociology
• Rehabilitation science
• Patient experience surveys
• Mixed-methods research

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne (Köln)

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Third-Party Research Funding: Research institute funded through competitive third-party grants from public funding bodies including Deutsche Krebshilfe (German Cancer Aid), German Research Foundation (DFG), Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and the Innovations Committee of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA). Additional funding from foundations such as Heigl Foundation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IMVR is a university research institute that conducts health services research, medical sociology, and rehabilitation science through mixed-methods empirical projects, patient surveys (e.g., EMMA-NRW), organizational and implementation research in healthcare, and validation of patient-reported instruments (KPF). It also delivers a joint Master of Science program in Versorgungswissenschaft and provides teaching in medical sociology, prevention, and health promotion.

Product overview

IMVR (Institut für Medizinsoziologie, Versorgungsforschung und Rehabilitationswissenschaft) is a joint scientific institute of the Human Sciences Faculty and the Medical Faculty at the University of Cologne, established in 2009. It is not a commercial product company but rather an academic research institution that conducts health services research, medical sociology, and rehabilitation science. The institute's activities include: conducting research projects on healthcare provision, patient care, and health outcomes (such as EMMA-NRW breast cancer patient surveys, MOVE-ONKO exercise therapy for oncology patients, and various other health services research projects); offering the Master of Science program in Versorgungswissenschaft (Health Services Research); and providing teaching in medical sociology, prevention, and health promotion. The institute operates three chairs: Medical Sociology (led by Prof. Dr. Lena Ansmann), Health Services Research (led by Prof. Dr. Nicole Ernstmann), and Rehabilitation Science (led by Vertr.-Prof. Dr. Christian Heuser).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master-Verbundstudiengang Versorgungswissenschaft (M.Sc. Health Services Research)
• EMMA-NRW Breast Cancer Patient Survey Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual survey of approximately 5000 breast cancer patients across NRW breast cancer centers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• University of Cologne - Faculty of Human Sciences (Humanwissenschaftliche Fakultät)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Founding partner of IMVR; hosts the Chair of Rehabilitation Science and contributes to the joint Master program in Health Services Research
• University of Cologne - Medical Faculty (Medizinische Fakultät)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Founding partner of IMVR; hosts the Chair of Medical Sociology and contributes to the joint Master program in Health Services Research
• University of Heidelberg - National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject leadership for MOVE-ONKO in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Joachim Wiskemann; joint evaluation of exercise therapy programs for cancer patients
• University of Bonn - Pharmaceutical InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on ANIMATE and AMIKO projects developing and validating instruments for medication literacy in cancer patients receiving oral chemotherapy
• CIO Köln-Bonn (Centrum für Integrierte Onkologie)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on EMMA-NRW breast cancer patient surveys and nutrition information development for breast cancer patients
• Centrum für Versorgungsforschung, Medizinische Hochschule BrandenburgmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium leadership for OpenNOTES project on online access to clinical treatment notes for outpatients
• University of Cologne - Seminar for Business Administration and Health ManagementmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium leadership for HPDnet project on pediatric healthcare networks for children with chronic kidney diseases
• Deutsches Krankenhausinstitut (DKI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in Patient Power project on patient empowerment through complaint management and patient advocacy in hospitals
• Netzwerk OnkoAktivminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork platform for certifying exercise therapy institutions in oncology; partner in MOVE-ONKO project for coordinating certified exercise offerings

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• aQua-Institut: Göttingen-based institute specializing in health care quality measurement, patient surveys, and outcomes research. Closely comparable to IMVR's EMMA-NRW/PROMs methodology and applied health services research focus.
• IGES Institut: Berlin-based research and consulting institute conducting health services research, health economics, and care system evaluations. Comparable to IMVR in applied health services research methodology and public-sector project portfolio.
• ZEGV (Center for Evidence-Based Health Care), TU Dresden: University-affiliated center for evidence-based health care and health services research. Comparable as an academic German health services research unit focused on systematic evaluation of care delivery.
• IQWiG (Institut für Qualität und Wirtschaftlichkeit im Gesundheitswesen): Germany's federal institute for health technology assessment and quality in health care. Directly comparable to IMVR as a German health services research institution evaluating patient-relevant outcomes, care quality, and benefit assessments, though at a national-policy scale.
• Deutsches Krankenhausinstitut (DKI): Düsseldorf-based research institute of the German hospital association, conducting hospital-sector research. Already a listed collaboration partner for IMVR (Patient Power project) and a direct peer in applied health systems research.
• Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute for Social Medicine and Epidemiology: University hospital institute combining social medicine, epidemiology, and health services research. Comparable to IMVR's bridge between medical sociology and applied care-system research within a German university hospital setting.
• WIdO (Wissenschaftliches Institut der AOK): AOK's scientific institute focused on health services research, claims-data analytics, and care quality evaluation. Comparable to IMVR's patient-survey and PROMs-oriented research at larger national scale.
• Hamburg Center for Health Economics (HCHE): University-affiliated interdisciplinary research center on health economics and health services research. Comparable to IMVR's interdisciplinary university-based structure linking social science and clinical perspectives.

Regional players

• LVR-Institut für Versorgungsforschung: NRW-based institute operated by the LVR-Klinikverbund, focused on psychiatric and psychosomatic care research. Geographically co-located with IMVR in NRW and methodologically overlapping in care-quality research.

Others

• DNVF (Deutsches Netzwerk Versorgungsforschung): German Network for Health Services Research, in which IMVR is an active member and contributor. Functions as a thematic professional community and convening body for the same field IMVR operates in.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/fs_versorgungswissenschaft
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imvr-uoc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institut für Medizinsoziologie, Versorgungsforschung und Rehabilitationswissenschaft (IMVR)