Prenatal Genomics —
Training activity: 10

Details

Liaise with multidisciplinary specialists to inform clinical decision making related to prenatal 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.

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 the training activity?

• How do you plan to prepare to justify specific testing strategies for prenatal cases during the discussion?
• How will you prepare to use your specialist knowledge of prenatal genomics to contribute to discussions in a way that ensures a safe and high-quality service?
• What foundational knowledge or specific case details do you need to master before embarking on the activity—such as the technical limitations of certain tests or the clinical significance of a specific variant—to participate effectively in the discussion?

What do you anticipate you will learn from the experience?

• What specific insights do you hope to gain from observing and participating in multidisciplinary decision-making, particularly regarding how genomic results influence clinical management in real-time?
• Thinking about what you already know regarding testing pathways, how do you expect this multidisciplinary environment to challenge or refine your existing perspectives?

What actions will you take in preparation for the experience?

• How do multidisciplinary discussions relating to prenatal samples take place within your department?
• How will you gain a clear understanding of your role and the local expectations for participating in these multidisciplinary discussions?
• What possible challenges do you anticipate facing—such as communicating complex technical data to non-genomics specialists or managing differing clinical opinions—and how have you planned to handle them?
• Given that these discussions directly impact patient care and management, how are you preparing for the professional responsibility of contributing your specialist genomic expertise to the team?

In action

What are you doing?

• How are you currently presenting or discussing the testing strategies for cases involving screening risk, ultrasound findings, or family history?
• What real-time decisions are you making regarding which technical details or variant interpretations are most relevant to share with the wider clinical team?
• Which parts of the multidisciplinary dialogue feel intuitive based on your technical background, and which parts—such as discussing clinical management implications—require more conscious effort?

How are you progressing with the activity?

• How effective are your contributions in helping the multidisciplinary team arrive at an appropriate testing strategy or management plan for the patient?
• What challenges are you facing during the discussion—such as explaining genomic complexity to non-specialists—and what are you learning from the team’s dynamics as they unfold?
• How does this multidisciplinary exchange connect to your existing knowledge of prenatal diagnostic pathways and technical workflows?

How are you adapting to the situation?

• Are there alternative testing strategies you should suggest based on new clinical information (e.g., specific scan findings) shared by other members of the multidisciplinary team?
• Do you need support or guidance from your Training Officer or a senior colleague during the meeting to clarify a complex point?
• In your contributions, are you ensuring that you are working strictly within your professional scope of practice?
• How are you applying your specialist knowledge in the moment to ensure that the mulidisciplinary team’s conclusions align with a safe and high-quality prenatal genomic service?

On action

What did you notice?

• Summarise the key points of the multidisciplinary discussion, specifically detailing the cases you were involved in and the genomic findings or testing strategies that were being considered.
• What were the essential clinical or technical details—such as specific ultrasound findings, screening risks, or familial histories—that most significantly influenced the team’s consensus on a testing strategy?

What did you learn from the activity?

• What specific skills or knowledge did you develop regarding applying appropriate testing strategies for patients referred for increased screening risk, abnormal ultrasound findings, or family history?
• Were there any unexpected challenges or successes during the discussion—such as successfully justifying a complex testing pathway or navigating a difference in clinical opinion—and what did you learn from these?
• In what ways did your reflection-in-action (the real-time decisions you made about how to present genomic data) influence the flow and outcome of the multidisciplinary discussion?
• How does the experience of contributing specialist knowledge to a multidisciplinary team MDT relate to the requirements for your post-programme practice as a Clinical Scientist?

What will you take from the experience moving forward?

• What specific areas for continued development in multidisciplinary communication or clinical decision-making have you identified as a result of this activity?
• How can you apply the learning from this discussion to your practice to ensure you consistently deliver a safe and high-quality prenatal genomic service?
• Identify the specific actions you will now take—such as reviewing clinical management guidelines for specific conditions discussed—to support the assimilation of what you have learned?
• What support or resources (e.g., specialist phenotypic databases, clinical mentorship, or further MDT attendance) do you need to further develop your ability to participate effectively in these professional forums?

Beyond action

Have you revisited the experiences?

• How has your perspective on proposing testing strategies for prenatal cases as you have participated in multidisciplinary discussions?
• Comparing your performance in these multidisciplinary discussions with your Observed Training Activities (OTAs), what specific observable behaviours—such as your ability to communicate complex genomic data clearly—have you now assimilated into your practice?
• As part of a module review, what recurring themes have you identified regarding the integration of specialist genomic knowledge into wider clinical decision-making?
• Through discussion with senior colleagues or peers, has your view of the multidisciplinary team’s role in delivering a safe and high-quality prenatal service changed or transformed as a result of mutual exchange?

How have these experiences impacted upon your current practice?

• How has this experience supported your development of wider professional skills, such as communication and presentation skills?
• How have you applied the knowledge and clinical insights gained from these discussions to your laboratory analysis or reporting since the original experience?
• How is the learning from these multidisciplinary interactions supporting your preparation for “in-person” assessments for this module, such as Case-based Discussions (CBDs) or Observed Communication Events (OCEs)?

How might these experiences contribute towards your future practice?

• What transferable skills—such as the ability to synthesise complex technical findings with diverse clinical opinions—are you continuing to develop as you move toward becoming a Clinical Scientist?
• What clear actions have you identified for the continued development of your specialist knowledge to ensure you consistently contribute to a safe and high-quality prenatal genomic service in the future?

Relevant learning outcomes

#	Outcome
# 1	Outcome Apply appropriate testing strategies to patients referred for increased screening risk.
# 2	Outcome Apply appropriate testing strategies to patients referred following abnormal ultrasound scan findings.
# 3	Outcome Apply appropriate testing strategies to patients with a family history of a genetic disorder.
# 7	Outcome Employ specialist knowledge of prenatal genomics to deliver a safe and high quality prenatal genomic service.