Vacature literatuurscriptie bij RIVM-CIb-EPI

Internship

Title: Health-related quality of life before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review of population and subgroup differences

Centre for Infectious Disease Control (CIb), Epidemiology and Surveillance, Data, Innovation and Surveillance, Department, RIVM, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven

Contact persons: Cheyenne van Hagen (cheyenne.van.hagen@rivm.nl)
Duration: 4–8 weeks
Start: to be determined in consultation, but not later than February 2027

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic led to major disruptions in daily life, healthcare, social contacts, and economic security, all of which may influence health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Many studies have assessed HRQoL before, during, and after the pandemic, but the evidence is scattered across populations, time periods, and measurement instruments.

This internship will focus on synthesizing existing literature on HRQoL in the general population and specific subgroups (e.g. women, young adults, medical risk groups, healthcare workers) before the COVID-19 pandemic and during and/or after the pandemic. The aim is to describe the impact of the pandemic on HRQoL and explore whether HRQoL returned to pre-pandemic levels once acute pandemic measures were lifted.

Research Questions

• What was the (acute and long-term) impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health-related quality of life?
• Are changes in HRQoL different between specific subgroups (e.g. age groups, sex, socioeconomic status, medical risk groups, healthcare workers)?

Materials and Methods

This project will use standard scoping literature review methods:

• Identification of relevant peer-reviewed articles via databases such as PubMed/Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and/or PsycINFO, using predefined search terms related to HRQoL and COVID-19.
• Use of reference tracking and possibly citation searching to identify additional relevant studies.
• Screening of titles and abstracts, followed by full-text selection using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.
• Data extraction into structured tables (e.g. study design, population, country, period, HRQoL instrument, main outcomes, covariates, key findings).
• Critical appraisal of study quality and risk of bias using a simple, appropriate tool (e.g. for observational studies).
• Narrative synthesis of the evidence; if feasible, basic quantitative comparison (e.g. ranges of changes in HRQoL scores, or simple subgroup comparisons), but this does not need to be a formal meta-analysis.

Tasks

1. Refine and possibly expand the research questions in consultation with supervisors.
2. Develop and pilot a literature search strategy (databases, keywords, MeSH terms).
3. Define inclusion and exclusion criteria and document the selection process.
4. Screen titles/abstracts and full texts to select relevant studies.
5. Design a data extraction form and systematically extract key information from included studies.
6. Critically appraise methodological quality and risk of bias of the included studies.
7. Organize and synthesize the findings into a coherent narrative (and simple quantitative summaries where appropriate).
8. Write a final report in scientific style (introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusions).
9. Prepare and deliver an oral presentation of the main findings at the department meeting.

Opportunities for Independent Work, Techniques That Can Be Learned

The internship offers substantial opportunities for independent work:

• Independently designing and refining a search strategy and selection criteria.
• Making justified decisions about study inclusion, categorization of studies, and how to handle heterogeneity.
• Independently performing critical appraisal and defending methodological judgments.
• Structuring and drafting a scientific report, including formulating key messages and limitations.

Techniques and skills the student can learn:

• Practical skills in database searching (PubMed, Embase, etc.) and use of Boolean operators and controlled vocabulary.
• Hands-on experience with literature management tools (e.g. EndNote).
• Systematic screening and study selection techniques.
• Data extraction and basic data management (e.g. in Excel, R, or another tool).
• Application of critical appraisal tools for observational studies and/or surveys.
• Narrative synthesis of complex literature and evidence-based reasoning.
• Scientific writing and structuring of a literature review report.
• Presentation skills: summarizing complex findings for a departmental audience.

Expected Deliverable

• Written report in the form of a structured scoping literature review.
• Oral presentation of the main findings at a department meeting.

Supervision

Main supervisor: Cheyenne van Hagen (PhD student).

Supervision will include regular meetings (e.g. weekly/biweekly) to discuss progress, methodological choices, and interpretation of results.

Desired Prior Knowledge

Field of study: Epidemiology or closely related disciplines (e.g. Public Health, Biomedical Sciences with an epidemiological focus).

Preferred prior knowledge and experience:

• Basic theoretical knowledge of epidemiologic study designs and biases.
• Introductory knowledge of literature review methods (systematic or narrative) and search strategies.
• Experience or training in critical reading of scientific articles.
• Affinity with public health, infectious disease epidemiology, and/or health-related quality of life research.
• Basic academic writing skills in English.

Additional Information

The scope of the review (e.g. age groups, specific populations) can be slightly adapted to the student’s interests and feasibility within 4–8 weeks, with room to propose additional sub-questions or a focused angle (e.g. mental health-related