Training activity information
Details
Plan a dataflow required to establish a data set that will generate operationally relevant information
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
- Structured and unstructured data
- Granularity of data
- Quality of data
- Access to data
- Requirements of final data set
- Method and frequency of delivery of a data set
- Data Flow diagrams
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 operational issue you plan to address? What are the key questions you are seeking to address by establishing this dataflow? How are these aims reflected in your plan?
- What operational information is required? What potential data sources are available? What are the key stages involved in a dataflow?
- What will you learn about designing effective dataflows for operational purposes? How will you consider the integration of different data sources?
- Will you research examples of dataflow diagrams in healthcare? Will you discuss the operational information needs with stakeholders?
- How do you feel about planning this dataflow? Do you feel you have a good understanding of data management principles?
In action
- What steps are you currently taking to outline the dataflow? Which data sources are you considering incorporating? How are you structuring the flow of data from source to the point of generating operational information? What criteria are you using to decide which steps are necessary?
- Are you encountering any difficulties in visualising or describing the dataflow? Are you identifying potential bottlenecks or points of failure in your planned flow? What are you learning about the practicalities of designing dataflows for operational purposes? How does this planning connect with your knowledge of data engineering principles?
- If you realise a particular data source is not suitable, are you considering alternatives? Are you modifying the planned steps in the dataflow based on new insights or challenges encountered during the planning process? Are you seeking input from others on your proposed plan?
On action
- What were the key stages in your planned dataflow? Which data sources did you decide to include and why? What operational information were you aiming to generate? What potential challenges did you foresee in implementing this dataflow?
- What did you learn about the considerations involved in designing a dataflow for operational purposes? Did you encounter any complexities in determining the necessary steps or data sources? How well did your reflect-in-action adjustments help in refining your dataflow plan? How does this planning relate to your understanding of data engineering and informatics in healthcare? What are the critical factors for ensuring a dataflow generates relevant and timely information?
- How will you approach planning dataflows in the future? What aspects of dataflow design do you need to explore further? What resources or tools might help you in this process? What are your next steps to enhance your skills in planning effective dataflows?
Beyond action
- Considering your current knowledge of data engineering principles, how would you evaluate the dataflow plan you created for this training activity? What would you do differently now? Have you been involved in planning other dataflows since this activity? How did this initial planning experience inform your later approaches? Did discussing this training activity with your training officer or peers reveal alternative dataflow designs you hadn’t considered? Review your reflect-on-action notes for this training activity. How has your understanding of ‘operationally relevant information’ evolved since then?
- Has your understanding of the stages involved in establishing a data set influenced how you approach data collection or data management tasks? How has this planning exercise contributed to your ability to work with data engineers and understand the data lifecycle within a healthcare organisation? Did this experience help you appreciate the considerations involved in designing dataflows that meet specific operational needs? Has it influenced how you think about potential bottlenecks or inefficiencies in data handling processes?
- What problem-solving and system-thinking skills did you develop through this training activity that will be applicable to future data engineering or informatics challenges? What are your next steps in learning more about dataflow technologies and best practices? How will the ability to plan effective dataflows contribute to your future ability to design and manage health data within a healthcare organisation?
Relevant learning outcomes
| # | Outcome |
|---|---|
| # 1 |
Outcome
Appraise the health data landscape, articulate how different data sets relate to each other and curate a data set to generate novel information. |