WARM Study
Homelessness is one of the most extreme forms of poverty and is usually accompanied by extremely precarious living conditions. This is associated with significant health disparities among those affected: National and international studies show significantly higher rates of physical and mental illness compared to the general population. Untreated or chronic conditions, multiple diagnoses, and a lack of health insurance coverage are common. In addition, environmental factors such as heat, cold, or a lack of shelter have a direct negative impact on the health of homeless people.
Providing medical care to homeless people is a complex social and professional challenge. Due to various factors, this population group is unable to make full use of standard health care services, which is why complementary, low-threshold services have been developed—including forms of medical streetwork.
One such service is the Johanniter mobile aid unit, which has been in operation in Augsburg since June 2024. As a low-threshold, acceptance-oriented approach outside the standard healthcare system, it travels directly to socially deprived areas and shelters for homeless and housing-insecure people, providing medical support on site.
The WARM study provides scientific support for the mobile clinic. The focus is on the analysis of acute and chronic wounds, issues related to addiction medicine, and sociological aspects. Prof. Dr. Daniel Niebauer from the Social Work program at THA is responsible for the sociological component of the study. Using standardized questionnaires and guided interviews, the psychosocial factors of homeless people who use the Johanniter mobile aid unit are examined in greater depth.
By compiling all the collected data, the study aims to ultimately yield reliable insights into the effects of environmental factors on acute and chronic wounds, mental health conditions, and social factors among homeless and housing-insecure individuals in Augsburg—with the goal of sustainably improving the local support system and health care for these populations.
Project Description
The WARM study is a collaboration between Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V., Bavarian Swabia Regional Association, represented by Marc Kannengießer (Director of the Johanniter Mobile Aid Unit), the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics at the University of Augsburg, represented by Dr. Marcus Gertzen (Head of the Addiction Research Group), the Faculty of Applied Humanities and Natural Sciences, Department of Social Work, at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, represented by Prof. Dr. Daniel Niebauer (Chair of Professional Theoretical Foundations of Social Work) under the direction of the Department of Vascular Surgery at the University of Augsburg, represented by Prof. Dr. med. Alexander Hyhlik-Dürr and Dr. med. Tobias Dominik Warm.
The study will run from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2027, and is funded by the Intramural Research Funding Program of the University of Augsburg’s Faculty of Medicine.
Press Clippings
Press coverage of the WARM study on a.tv Aktuell on February 12, 2026:
Project Management
| Prof. Dr. Daniel Niebauer | |
Augsburg University of Applied Sciences Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences | |
| Phone: +49 821 5586-3671 | |
| daniel.niebauer@tha.de | |
External Partners
| Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V. / Bavarian Swabia Regional Association | |
| Marc Kannengießer | |
| Head of the Johanniter Mobile Aid Unit |
| Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics at the University of Augsburg | |
| Dr. Marcus Gertzen, M.D. | |
| Head of the Addiction Research Group |
| Department of Vascular Surgery, University of Augsburg | |
| Prof. Dr. med. Alexander Hyhlik-Dürr | |
| Dr. Tobias Dominik Warm |
Funding
The project is funded by the Intramural Research Funding Program of the University of Augsburg’s School of Medicine.