Healthcare Technology Management —
Training activity: 5

Details

Plan, perform, analyse and report on electrical safety, essential performance and calibration of different electrical classes and types of general medical devices.

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 have you reviewed the learning outcomes to ensure you are prepared to appraise and apply the relevant legislative frameworks and organisational policies for healthcare technology management?
• In what ways do you plan to demonstrate that you can identify and assess the essential performance and basic safety of medical devices across different electrical classes?
• How will you ensure your practice aligns with the relevant standards of quality management required for accurate calibration and reporting?
• What specific technical knowledge regarding electrical classes (e.g., Class I, II) and types (e.g., B, BF, CF) do you need to verify before embarking on this activity?

What do you anticipate you will learn from the experience?

• What specific insights do you hope to gain regarding how quality management standards directly influence the reliability of calibration data and patient safety?
• In what ways do you expect this activity to improve your proficiency in analysing complex electrical safety data and translating it into a formal technical report?

What actions will you take in preparation for the experience?

• What specific points have you prepared to discuss with your Training Officer to gain a clarity of understanding regarding local testing protocols and equipment limitations?
• What possible challenges—such as dealing with faulty grounding or ambiguous performance readings—have you identified, and how do you plan to handle them?
• How have you identified your feelings about embarking on this task, particularly the professional responsibility of certifying a device as electrically safe for clinical use?

In action

What are you doing?

• How are you currently approaching the sequence of electrical safety tests, and why have you chosen this particular methodology for the specific device class?
• What decisions are you making as the calibration progresses to ensure the device meets its essential performance specifications?
• Which aspects of the testing feel intuitive, and which—such as interpreting leakage current limits—require more conscious, focused effort?

How are you progressing with the activity?

• How effective are your current actions in identifying potential safety risks or calibration drifts in the medical devices?
• What technical challenges are you facing as the data unfolds, and what are you learning about the device’s condition in real-time?
• How does this activity connect to your existing knowledge of engineering physics and quality management?

How are you adapting to the situation?

• Are there alternative testing approaches you should consider mid-process to resolve an unexpected or borderline result?
• What immediate support or guidance might you need from a senior engineer right now to resolve a complex calibration issue?
• How are you ensuring that your actions and reports remain strictly within your professional scope of practice?

On action

What did you notice?

• How would you summarise the key points of the experience, specifically detailing the electrical safety findings and any calibration adjustments required?

What did you learn from the activity?

• What specific skills or knowledge did you develop regarding the application of legislative frameworks to routine safety testing?
• In what ways did your reflection-in-action—such as re-verifying a reading due to an unexpected result—influence the final accuracy of your report?
• How does the experience of performing these safety and performance checks relate to the requirements for your future post-programme practice as a Clinical Scientist?

What will you take from the experience moving forward?

• What areas for continued development in quality management or advanced calibration techniques have you identified as a result of this activity?
• How can you apply the learning from this session (e.g., more rigorous documentation of test conditions) to your routine practice in the department?
• What are the specific ‘next steps’ you will now take, such as mastering new safety analysers or seeking feedback on your reporting style, to support the assimilation of what you have learned?

Beyond action

Have you revisited the experiences?

• How have you re-evaluated your initial calibration decisions in light of subsequent device performance or peer feedback?
• Comparing this experience with your Observed Training Activities (OTAs), what specific observable behaviours in technical precision and quality compliance have you now fully assimilated?
• In what ways has discussing with peers regarding your safety testing challenges changed your view on how to navigate complex legislative requirements?

How have these experiences impacted upon your current practice?

• How has the accumulated learning from these safety checks supported your preparation for ‘in-person’ assessments, such as Case-based Discussions (CBD)?
• In what ways are you now more confident in recognising when a device is beyond safe limits and knowing exactly when to escalate for senior review?
• How have you applied this knowledge of quality standards since the original experience to improve the accuracy of your wider practice?

How might these experiences contribute towards your future practice?

• What transferable skills in risk appraisal and system exploration have you developed that will help you lead future technology safety programmes?
• What clear actions for continued development of your calibration and safety skills have you identified to ensure your future practice remains of the highest quality?

Relevant learning outcomes

#	Outcome
# 4	Outcome Appraise and apply legislative frameworks for healthcare technology management.
# 5	Outcome Practice in accordance with organisational policy for healthcare technology management.
# 7	Outcome Apply the relevant quality management standards to practice.
# 8	Outcome Identify and assess the essential performance and basic safety of healthcare technology.