Training activity information
Details
Review data storage for clinical computing system and make recommendations for improvement
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 retention requirements
- Significance of data retention to patient care
- Data storage mechanism/format
- Options to extract data from clinical system
- Vendor/independent options
- Ongoing storage requirements, including live, backup and archive
- Retrieval and use of data long term
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 intended outcomes of reviewing data storage and making improvement recommendations? How does this link to managing data storage, backup, and archiving, as well as data sharing mechanisms and troubleshooting?
- What knowledge of data storage technologies, best practices, and the specific clinical system’s data needs do you require?
- What do you anticipate learning about data capacity planning, storage efficiency, security considerations, and presenting recommendations?
- How will you prepare for this review? Will you analyse current storage metrics or research alternative storage solutions? What challenges might you face in identifying areas for improvement or justifying recommendations? How do you feel about undertaking this analytical and advisory task?
In action
- What data storage metrics are you analysing? What tools or methods are you using for the review? What aspects of data storage (capacity, performance, backup, archiving) are you focusing on? What criteria are you using to identify potential improvements?
- Are you able to gather the necessary data storage information? Are you identifying any bottlenecks or inefficiencies in the current setup? What patterns or trends are you observing in the data usage? How does this review inform your understanding of data storage management and potential risks?
- Are you needing to modify your review approach based on the available data or system architecture? Are you considering alternative improvement strategies if your initial ideas seem unfeasible? Are you noting any assumptions you are making during the review that might need further validation?
On action
- What were the key aspects of the data storage infrastructure you reviewed? What metrics or information did you analyse to understand the current storage situation? What potential areas for improvement did you identify?
- What skills or knowledge did you develop or improve in reviewing data storage for clinical systems? What did you learn about different data storage technologies and their suitability for clinical data? Were there any unexpected findings or insights during your review? What did you learn from these? How did you formulate your recommendations for improvement based on your review?
- What areas for continued development in data storage management and optimisation have been identified? How can you apply the learning from this activity to future reviews of data storage? What ‘next steps’ will you take to enhance your understanding of clinical data storage solutions?
Beyond action
- Think about how this DTA has impacted your understanding of data storage principles and best practices in a clinical setting.
- Have you been involved in discussions or decisions related to data storage since this review? How did your learning from this DTA contribute?
- Consider how the concepts of backup, archiving, and disaster recovery relate to your findings and recommendations, and how your understanding has evolved.
- How has this experience influenced your approach to data management in other aspects of your work?
Relevant learning outcomes
| # | Outcome |
|---|---|
| # 4 |
Outcome
Review and manage data storage, backup and archiving for clinical computer systems. |
| # 5 |
Outcome
Analyse, define and configure data sharing and data transfer mechanisms for clinical systems. |
| # 7 |
Outcome
Undertake troubleshooting and problem solving for clinical computing systems and connectivity. |