Analytics —
Training activity: 1

Details

Modify an offline copy of an existing database incorporating new data tables

Develop data input forms or methods to populate tables, queries to extract subsets of the data, and reports to output data in a readable/viewable form

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 explore and explain the relational architecture between disparate elements in a clinical or operational system?
• What essential knowledge have you identified as necessary regarding relational database design, data integrity constraints, and the specific schema of the existing database before you begin modifications?
• How do you intend to demonstrate that your designed queries and reports follow best practice guidelines for data management and provide actionable insights for service performance?

What do you anticipate you will learn from the experience?

• What specific insights have you considered gaining regarding the link between database structure and the ability to perform meaningful statistical interpretations?
• In what ways do you expect this activity to improve your proficiency in using software tools to translate quantitative data into clear messages for healthcare colleagues?

What actions will you take in preparation for the experience?

• What specific points have you prepared to discuss with your Training Officer or data specialist to ensure you have a clear understanding of the project’s technical and clinical complexities?
• How have you planned to handle the possible challenges of ensuring data integrity between new and existing tables?
• How have you identified your feelings about embarking on this activity, particularly regarding the responsibility of handling sensitive (albeit offline) datasets?

In action

What are you doing?

• How are you currently approaching the incorporation of new tables into the existing relational structure, and why have you chosen this specific sequence of steps for defining data relationships?
• What specific logic-based decisions are you making right now as you build the queries to extract subsets of data, and how are you determining their operational relevance?
• Which aspects of designing the data input forms feel intuitive to you, and which parts require more conscious, focused effort to align with user-friendly best practices?

How are you progressing with the activity?

• How effectively are your chosen data input methods allowing you to populate the new tables without compromising the integrity of the existing system?
• What technical challenges are you encountering in this moment, and in what ways is this task connecting to your existing knowledge of system elements and statistical analysis?
• What are you learning as the task unfolds about the limitations of your chosen software or the nuances of the dataset?

How are you adapting to the situation?

• Are there alternative approaches to structuring these tables or reports that you should consider to make the output clearer for the end-user?
• What immediate support or guidance do you feel you need from a colleague to solve a query or reporting issue right now?
• How are you ensuring that your modifications remain strictly within your professional scope of practice regarding data security and system integrity?

On action

What did you notice?

• How would you summarise the key technical points of the experience, specifically regarding the integration of new tables and the logical flow of the queries you developed?
• What specific technical details or data interactions did you notice were most significant during the development process?

What did you learn from the activity?

• What specific skills or knowledge did you develop regarding the ability to select, perform, and critique statistical analyses on these datasets?
• In what ways did your real-time adjustments during the activity—such as adjusting a form layout for better readability—influence the final quality of the database output?
• How does the experience of building this integrated data narrative relate to the requirements for your future post-programme practice as a Clinical Scientist?

What will you take from the experience moving forward?

• What specific areas for continued development in data management or statistical interpretation have you identified as a result of this activity?
• How can you apply the learning from this database project (e.g., more efficient data extraction) to your routine practice in the department?
• What are the specific ‘next steps’ you will now take, such as learning a scripted data processing language, to support the assimilation of what you have learned?

Beyond action

Have you revisited the experiences?

• How have you re-evaluated your initial design decisions in light of subsequent learning about the nuances of system interdependencies?
• Comparing this experience with your Observed Training Activities (OTAs), what specific observable behaviours in data management have you now fully assimilated?
• In what ways has discussions with peers regarding your database strategies changed your view on how to navigate complex or ambiguous datasets?

How have these experiences impacted upon your current practice?

• How has this database activity supported your development in wider professional areas, such as writing interpretative reports or communicating technical findings to the MDT?
• In what ways has the cumulative learning from this activity supported your preparation for ‘in-person’ assessments, such as Case-Based Discussions where you must justify data interpretations?

How might these experiences contribute towards your future practice?

• What transferable skills in system exploration and diagnostic planning have you developed that will help you evaluate and adopt new digital technologies in the future?
• How will the principles of safe and high-quality data management learned here guide your future practice as genomic or clinical data becomes more integrated into patient pathways?

Relevant learning outcomes

#	Outcome
# 1	Outcome Explore and explain relationships between elements in a system.
# 2	Outcome Select, perform and critique statistical analyses and interpretations on clinical and operational datasets.