Training activity information
Details
Triage new referrals appropriately in line with local service scope
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
- Relationship between the clinical question and the assessment methods available
- Clinical urgency
- Service planning, e.g. clinic specification, staffing and location
- Local capacity and waiting time issues
- Interaction with other parts of the patient pathway and involvement of the wider multidisciplinary providing care
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 are the local service scope and referral criteria?
- What information do you need to effectively triage new referrals?
- What are the different categories or pathways for referrals?
- What local protocols and guidelines do you need to be familiar with?
- What do you hope to learn about the process of triaging referrals within your specific service?
- What insights do you expect to gain about different patient needs and service capabilities?
- What prior understanding do you have of patient pathways and referral systems?
- How will you familiarise yourself with the local service scope and referral pathways?
- What key information will you look for in a new referral?
- Who can you consult if you are unsure about a triage decision?
- What potential challenges might you face in making triage decisions, and how will you prepare for them?
- How do you feel about having responsibility for triaging referrals?
In action
- When reviewing new referrals, what key information are you prioritising to determine the appropriate triage pathway? Why are these your priorities?
- What decisions are you making about the urgency and allocation of referrals based on the available information and local guidelines?
- Are there any aspects of the triage process that feel straightforward based on your existing knowledge, and where do you need to consciously refer to protocols or seek guidance?
On action
- Summarise the referrals you triaged and the decisions you made regarding their allocation.
- What were the key pieces of information that guided your decisions?
- What did you learn about triaging referrals according to local service scope?
- Did you improve your understanding of the relevant protocols and guidelines?
- Were there any ambiguous referrals or challenging cases?
- What did you learn from how these were addressed?
- How did you prioritise information and make decisions as you reviewed each referral?
- How does effective triage contribute to the efficient and appropriate delivery of clinical engineering services?
- What aspects of the triage process or local service scope do you need to understand better?
- What further experience would be beneficial?
- How will you approach future referral triaging?
- What actions will you take to deepen your understanding of triage protocols?
- What resources or guidance would be helpful?
Beyond action
- Have you triaged other new referrals since this DTA?
- How has your understanding of the local service scope and referral pathways evolved?
- Have you had opportunities to review the outcomes of your triage decisions?
- How has this experience influenced your approach to understanding and applying service protocols?
- Has your ability to prioritise and manage caseload based on referral information improved?
- Has your understanding of the importance of appropriate referral management for efficient service delivery changed?
- What skills in decision-making, understanding service pathways, and prioritisation did you develop that will be valuable in future autonomous practice or service management roles?
- How has this experience shaped your understanding of the patient journey from initial referral?
- What actions will you take to further develop your understanding of triage processes and local service provision?
Relevant learning outcomes
| # | Outcome |
|---|---|
| # 3 |
Outcome
Conduct a patient episode from referral to treatment including identification and prescription of healthcare technology. |