Training activity information
Details
Provide advice and explain to non-specialist healthcare professional the basis and indications for performing in vivo tests for investigation of allergic disease, including all of the following:
- Skin prick testing
- Patch testing
- Challenge testing
- Intradermal testing
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
- Sample handling requirements for lab tests
- Contraindications and precautions for in vivo tests
- Situations in which only a lab test, and in which only an in vivo test would be appropriate
- Immediate versus delayed type hypersensitivity responses
- Patient preparation and experience for patient-based tests
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
- Consider what specific aspects of advising non-specialists on skin prick, patch, challenge, and intradermal testing are important to focus on. What do you aim to achieve during this interaction in terms of the other healthcare professional’s understanding?
- Consider the potential level of knowledge of a ‘non-specialist healthcare professional’ – what might they already know, and where might their understanding be limited?
- Consider the specific insights you hope to gain from explaining these tests to a non-specialist. Consider possible challenges you might face during the explanation, such as encountering unfamiliar questions or having difficulty simplifying complex concepts, and think about how you might handle them.
In action
- How are you approaching the explanation for each test? As you are performing the technical expanation, what aspects are proving straightforward and which require more thought?
- How effective are your explanations in conveying the necessary information to the non-specialist healthcare professional? Are they asking clarifying questions that indicate understanding or confusion? What challenges are you facing as you try to explain these in vivo tests to someone who may not have specialist knowledge? What can you learn from this interaction as it unfolds about communicating complex information to non-specialists? How does explaining these tests connect to your existing knowledge of allergy testing and the role of the laboratory?
- What support or guidance might you need in this moment, or immediately after, to ensure you have provided accurate and understandable advice?
On action
- What skills or knowledge did you develop or improve through this activity, such as your communication skills in explaining complex information to a non-specialist audience or your understanding of the indications for different in vivoallergy tests?
- Were there any unexpected challenges or successes during this interaction? In what ways did any reflection-in-action influence how the interaction unfolded?
- What areas for continued development have been identified as a result of this activity What support or resources might you need to further develop in the areas identified through this reflection, such as discussing challenging cases with your training officer?
Beyond action
- Have you had subsequent opportunities to explain these or other tests to other non-specialist colleagues? How did those experiences compare?
- Revisit your initial reflections on this DTA. Has your view of the situation or your effectiveness in communicating this information changed as a result of further experiences or learning?
- How has this experience supported you in developing broader skills such as communication and the ability to tailor explanations to different audiences? How have you applied the knowledge gained from this activity in subsequent discussions or interactions with healthcare professionals regarding immunology testing?
Relevant learning outcomes
| # | Outcome |
|---|---|
| # 3 |
Outcome
Summarise the services provided by immunology laboratories and advise other healthcare professionals on their application in patient management. |
| # 4 |
Outcome
Explain the limitations of laboratory tests for allergic disease and associated in vivo. |
| # 6 |
Outcome
Practice in partnership with relevant clinical specialisms in the investigation of allergic disease. |