Analytics —
Training activity: 3

Details

Use statistical techniques to evaluate the strength of relationships between elements in a clinical and operational process and present a summary

Type

Developmental training activity (DTA)

Evidence requirements

Evidence the activity has been undertaken by the trainee​.

Reflection on the activity at one or more time points after the event including learning from the activity and/or areas of the trainees practice for development.

An action plan to implement learning and/or to address skills or knowledge gaps identified.

Considerations

• Data type and distribution
• Identification of potential independent and dependent variables
• Justification of statistical methods
• Presentation of statistical results
• Statistical assumptions

Reflective practice guidance

The guidance below is provided to support reflection at different time points, providing you with questions to aid you to reflect for this training activity. They are provided for guidance and should not be considered as a mandatory checklist. Trainees should not be expected to provide answers to each of the guidance questions listed.

Before action

• What is the clinical or operational process you will be investigating?
  • What are the elements within this process that you will be analysing for relationships?
• What statistical techniques are appropriate for evaluating the strength of relationships between these elements (e.g., correlation, regression)?
  • What do you know about these techniques?
• What data will you need to collect or access to perform this analysis?
• How will you present the summary of your findings in a clear and understandable way? Consider the audience.
• What potential challenges might you encounter in selecting the appropriate statistical techniques, performing the analysis, and interpreting the results?

In action

• As you apply statistical techniques, are you noticing any unexpected patterns or outliers in the data?
  • How are you investigating these?
• Are the chosen statistical techniques providing meaningful insights into the relationships between the elements? If not, are you considering alternative approaches?
• Are you interpreting the statistical results in the context of the clinical or operational process?
  • Are your interpretations evolving as you analyse the data?
• As you prepare your summary, are you thinking about how best to communicate the strength of the relationships to someone unfamiliar with statistics?
  • Are you trying different ways to phrase your findings?
• Are you assessing the limitations of the statistical techniques you are using in real-time based on the data?

On action

• Summarise the clinical or operational process you analysed, the statistical techniques you applied, and the main findings regarding the strength of relationships between elements.
• What did you learn about using statistical techniques to identify and evaluate relationships in healthcare data?
  • Were the chosen techniques appropriate for the type of data and the questions you were asking?
  • Did you improve your ability to interpret statistical outputs in the context of the process?
  • How did your decisions about which statistical tests to use and how to interpret the results during the activity affect your findings?
  • How does understanding these relationships contribute to evidence-based practice?
  • Were there any unexpectedly strong or weak relationships identified?
  • What did you learn from these findings?
  • Were there any challenges in selecting the appropriate statistical methods or interpreting the results?
• What specific statistical techniques for evaluating relationships do you need to learn more about?
  • How can you improve your ability to select and apply appropriate statistical methods?
  • What are your next steps in developing your statistical analysis skills?
  • What resources (e.g., statistical software tutorials, textbooks) would be helpful?

Beyond action

• Have you used statistical techniques to analyse relationships in other datasets or encountered different statistical methods since this DTA?
  • How has your understanding of the appropriate application and interpretation of statistical tests evolved?
  • Have you discussed your statistical analyses with colleagues to ensure correct interpretation and consider alternative approaches?
• How has this experience influenced your ability to interpret statistical data presented in reports or research?
  • Have you applied statistical techniques to evaluate relationships in your own work or contribute to data-driven decision-making?
  • Has your appreciation for the importance of statistical evidence in healthcare improved?
• What transferable skills (e.g., data analysis, critical thinking, evidence-based practice) did you develop that will be valuable in research, audit, or service evaluation?
  • How has this experience informed your understanding of the role of statistics in healthcare analytics?
  • What clear actions for continued development in statistical analysis or interpretation have been identified?

Relevant learning outcomes

#	Outcome
# 1	Outcome Explore and explain relationships between elements in a system.
# 2	Outcome Select, perform and critique statistical analyses and interpretations on clinical and operational datasets.