Research
Jessica Persson Kylén is a postdoctoral researcher at Karlstad University. She earned her PhD in 2025 with a thesis on person-centred oral health care planning in home settings. She is a registered dental hygienist with experience in initiating and leading collaborative projects between dental care services and municipal organisations.
Jessica’s research focuses on enabling older adults’ involvement in their care by creating arenas and platforms grounded in a learning culture.
As a postdoctoral researcher, Jessica is involved in a research project implementing a complex intervention within the framework of a cluster randomised controlled trial. The study aims to test a new working model for oral health care planning at home for older adults. The model is both multiprofessional and cross-organisational, based on collaboration between older individuals, their relatives, care staff, and dental professionals. The participating professionals operate across several municipalities as well as within the Public Dental Service of Västra Götaland. The project offers rich opportunities for analysis from multiple perspectives, and the results are expected to provide important evidence on working models for oral health among older adults receiving home care, a group often in a vulnerable phase of life who may have lost their previous regular contact with dental services.
Teaching
Jessica Persson Kylén teaches at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels at Swedish universities. Her teaching focuses on oral health in older adults, collaboration and learning in connection with oral health care planning. She also emphasises person-centred care, shared decision-making, and the role of a learning culture in supporting healthy ageing. Co-design is an important aspect of her approach, encouraging active involvement from individuals and professionals in shaping care solutions.
Related info
Gemensam arbetsmodell för personcentrerad samverkan (GAPA): https://www.kau.se/oral-halsa/forskning/forskning-inom-oral-halsa/gemensam-arbetsmodell-personcentrerad-samverkan-gapa
Selected publications
Persson Kylén J, Björns S, Hägglin C, Bellander L, Brattbäck Atzori A, Persson Kylén S, et al. Evaluation of collaborative oral health care planning between older adults and personnel from public dental care and municipal care organizations: a study protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled study in Sweden. Trials. 2025;26(1):57.
Persson Kylén J. Oral health care planning: a conceptual model. Diss. Trollhättan: Högskolan Väst; 2025.
Persson Kylén J, Björns S, Hägglin C, Bellander L, Brattbäck Atzori A, Persson Kylén S, et al. Evaluation of collaborative oral health care planning between older adults and personnel from public dental care and municipal care organizations: a study protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled study in Sweden. Trials. 2025;26(1):57.
Persson Kylén J, Björns S, Hägglin C, Grönbeck-Lindén I, Piper L, Wårdh I. Decisional needs for older adults, home health care nurses and dental hygienists during team-based oral health assessments in ordinary home settings—a qualitative study. BMC Geriatr. 2024;24(1):779.
Persson Kylén J, Wårdh I, Stacey D, et al 199 A Theory analysis of shared decision-making theories, conceptual models, and theoretical frameworks within dental healthcare
BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine 2024;29:A93.
Persson Kylén J, Svensson A, Atzori AB, Kylén SP, Hägglin C. Identifying Flowing Change and Learning Towards Healthy Ageing—An Action Research Study. Journal of Health Management. 2024;26(5):733-742.
Persson J, Johansson I, Torgé CJ, Bergström EK, Hägglin C, Wårdh I. Oral Care Cards as a support in daily oral care of frail older adults: experiences and perceptions of professionals in nursing and dental care—a qualitative study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(15):9380.
Persson J, Svensson A, Lindén IG, Kylén S, Hägglin C. Aspects of Expansive Learning in the Context of Healthy Ageing-A Formative Intervention between Dental Care and Municipal Healthcare. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jan 19;19(3):1089. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19031089. PMID: 35162112; PMCID: PMC8834131.
Persson J, Hägglin C. Dental hygienist in municipal services – TAIK [report in Swedish]. Gothenburg: Public Dental Service Västra Götaland and Folktandvården; 2022.