Training activity information
Details
Develop a simple prototype decision support tool using an evidence-based medicine approach
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
- Decision tree
- Clinical guidelines
- Evidence based medicine
- Comparative effectiveness
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 methodologies might they suggest? What foundational knowledge of evidence-based medicine principles and basic software or prototyping tools do you need before starting?
- What specific insights do you hope to gain about the process of translating evidence into a functional decision support tool? What is your current understanding of how evidence-based medicine informs the design of healthcare tools?
- Have you discussed with your training officer the clinical problem you will address and the scope of your prototype? What challenges might you encounter in identifying relevant evidence or in the technical aspects of prototyping? How will you prepare for these? How do you feel about the practical application of your knowledge in designing a healthcare tool?
In action
- As you design and build the prototype, what decisions are you making about its features, logic, and the evidence you are incorporating?
- How effectively is your chosen evidence translating into a functional prototype? What modifications are you making as you encounter limitations or new insights?
- Are certain aspects of the prototyping process feeling more intuitive than others? Where do you need to consciously problem-solve?
- Are you considering alternative design choices or ways to implement the evidence?
- Is this decision support tool a medical device and fall under the Medical Devices Regulations? How do you justify whether or not it is a medical device and if so, which classification it would be? How does this affect your process for designing and building the prototype?
On action
- What were the key features of your prototype decision support tool? What evidence-based medicine approach did you use and how did you implement it in your prototype?
- What did you learn about the process of translating evidence into a functional decision support tool? What challenges and opportunities did you encounter? Were there any unexpected difficulties in applying the evidence or designing the prototype? What did you learn from these? How did your decisions during the development process impact the functionality and design of your prototype? What is the importance of evidence-based medicine in the design of decision support tools?
- What aspects of prototype development or applying evidence-based principles to digital tools would you like to explore further? How will you approach future development of decision support tools based on this experience? What specific steps will you take to improve your design and implementation? What tools or resources could enhance your skills in prototyping and using evidence-based approaches?
Beyond action
- Have you revisited your prototype? Reflecting on subsequent learning about decision support tools and evidence-based medicine, how would you approach this task differently now?
- Have other experiences involving decision support tools highlighted any limitations or strengths in your prototype design or the evidence-based approach you used?
- Reviewing your reflections across the module, what broader understanding of the challenges and opportunities in developing practical decision support tools has emerged? What future learning will you pursue?
- Have you shared your prototype or discussed your design process with peers? Did this offer alternative perspectives on your approach?
- How has the experience of building this prototype influenced your ability to analyse and critique existing decision support tools in other activities?
- How has this hands-on experience informed your understanding of the practical application of evidence-based medicine in a digital context? How has your wider practice benefitted?
- How might the skills gained from developing this prototype contribute to future projects involving decision support tools? What transferable skills have you gained, and what further development is needed?
Relevant learning outcomes
| # | Outcome |
|---|---|
| # 4 |
Outcome
Design a simple Decision Support Tool to solve a clinical problem. |