Update 21: De stagiair

Are you a student of medicine or student biomedical sciences with data-analysis skills? Do you know your way around SPSS or R? Do you enjoy formulating new questions while browsing the data? Do you want to work side-by-side with a patient researcher in doing so? Do you want to interview patients about their experiences with a scientifically substantiated self-help tool?

Yes to all?

Read on .. You may just be the person that the researchers of the COPIED study need!

The COPIED study?

Yes, indeed. Let me tell you more.

The goal of the COPIED study* is to develop a scientifically substantiated self-help tool for sharing the preferences of patients and their loved ones in circumventing obstacles in thinking. The obstacles under investigation include problems with attention and concentration, memory, speed of thinking and acting, keeping an overview, planning, stimulus processing and carrying out double tasks.

As part of this research project, a questionnaire was sent out. The results of this questionnaire include responses of 453 people with Parkinson’s and 126 responses of their loved ones. It is these responses that are waiting to statically be explored.

In parallel, the mentioned self-help tool for sharing patient preferences will be developed by the principal investigator and sent out to the same people who filled in the questionnaire. If your graduation internship requires you to collect data yourself, this is the right phase. We will gather feedback on the usefulness and use of the tool via a questionnaire and an interview with a selection of participants.

What are the research questions?

Our research has the following questions:

• Which cognitive obstacles (in the field of perceiving, remembering, planning, and performing daily activities) do patients experience in their daily lives?
• What detours do patients (and their partners) use to deal with these obstacles and possible symptom enhancers?
• How can we translate the collected detours into a field-tested self-help tool for everyday use?

You can play a part in answering all 3.

What’s in it for you?

• Experiencing true co-creation between patients and researchers
  You will be welcomed into a true patient-researcher collaboration. This research is led by Parkinson’s patients Marina Noordegraaf and Edwin Barentsen, both patient researchers at the Dutch Parkinson’s Association (Parkinson Vereniging). They are coached by Dr. Ingrid Sturkenboom, who is a senior researcher and occupational therapist in the field of Parkinson’s disease. In addition, they and can count on a knowledgeable advisory board with patients and researchers.
• Contributing to uncover hidden symptoms of Parkinson’s and patients own coping strategies
  As a student of medicine or biomedical sciences you will help uncovering some of the more invisible Parkinson’s symptoms. Symptoms that severely hinder people with Parkinson’s and their loved ones in performing daily activities. Realizing there is more to Parkinson’s than the eye meets and appreciating the resilience of people, can shape your attitude in your travels to becoming a medical professional.
• An apprenticeship compensation
  This research was funded by the Dutch Parkinson’s Foundation. We can offer an internship compensation.

The internship will be embedded in the Department of Rehabilitation of Radboudumc and supervision will be by dr. Ingrid Sturkenboom.

Period: The project is already ongoing. You can start a.s.a.p.

Interested?
You can address your motivation to ingrid.sturkenboom@radboudumc.nl 

Looking forward to meet!

Want to know more first?

More info at https://www.copiedstudie.nl. Correspondence to marina.noordegraaf@radboudumc.nl 

* COPIED is an acronym for “Cognitive Obstacles & Detours in Parkinson’s: Information Processing Tips for Every Day”.