Information:

Module information

Details

Title
Clinical Connectivity and Clinical Infrastructure
Type
Specialist
Module code
S-CSC-S2-1
Credits
10
Requirement
Compulsory

Aim of this module

This module aims to provide trainees with experience of a wide range of clinical computing tasks required for the provision of clinical computing services, connectivity of clinical computing systems and associated data transfers.

Work-based content

Competencies

# Learning outcome Competency Action
# 1 Learning outcome 1,2,3,8 Competency

Review an IT requirement for a clinical computing system and produce an options appraisal

Action View
# 2 Learning outcome 1,2,3,8 Competency

Based on an options appraisal, install and configure a standard server-based operating system and required application

Action View
# 3 Learning outcome 1,2,4 Competency

Configure and deploy a virtual computer system

Action View
# 4 Learning outcome 1,3,4,7 Competency

Contribute to management of a clinical computing system

Action View
# 5 Learning outcome 4,5,7 Competency

Review data storage for clinical computing system and make recommendations for improvement

Action View
# 6 Learning outcome 4,5,9 Competency

Review data flow for a specified clinical computing system and make recommendations for resilience and contingency options

Action View
# 7 Learning outcome 4,5,9 Competency

Analyse and map data flows for a specified patient pathway in the organisation and report the findings

Action View
# 8 Learning outcome 5,6,7,9 Competency

Provision, configure and deploy an interface for clinical data transfer

Action View
# 9 Learning outcome 3,4,7,8,9 Competency

Plan and review an update or upgrade for a clinical system

Action View
# 10 Learning outcome 3,4,7,8 Competency

Implement a planned update or upgrade to a server-based computing system

Action View

Assessments

Complete 2 Case-Based Discussions

Complete 2 DOPS or OCEs

Direct Observation of Practical Skills Titles

  • Undertake a change to a clinical system following appropriate local procedures.
  • Plan and prepare for a change to a clinical system.
  • Recover data from a back-up.
  • Restore a virtual server from a back up.
  • Troubleshoot problem with clinical computing system.
  • Reconfigure and test a DICOM node.

Observed Clinical Event Titles

  • Conduct a requirements gathering exercise for a new/upgraded system.
  • Present an options appraisal.
  • Feedback to colleagues results of an audit.
  • Feedback to colleagues results of a review.

Learning outcomes

# Learning outcome
1

Appraise, deploy and manage server operating systems.

2

Evaluate, provision and manage virtualised computing infrastructure.

3

Undertake day-to-day management for clinical computing systems.

4

Review and manage data storage, backup and archiving for clinical computer systems.

5

Analyse, define and configure data sharing and data transfer mechanisms for clinical systems.

6

Develop interfaces for clinical data transfer.

7

Undertake troubleshooting and problem solving for clinical computing systems and connectivity.

8

Analyse and undertake system changes.

9

Demonstrate effective communication with stakeholders and the multidisciplinary team.

Academic content (MSc in Clinical Science)

Important information

The academic parts of this module will be detailed and communicated to you by your university. Please contact them if you have questions regarding this module and its assessments. The module titles in your MSc may not be exactly identical to the work-based modules shown in the e-portfolio. Your modules will be aligned, however, to ensure that your academic and work-based learning are complimentary.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module the trainee will be able to:

  1. Apply integrative knowledge of ICT hardware, software and network components.
  2. Critically appraise relevant safety standards and configuration control.
  3. Implement server-based applications, ensuring appropriate security, protective measures and routine housekeeping tasks.
  4. Critically evaluate ICT standards applied to healthcare.

Indicative content

  • Software development:
    • Strategies for web development
    • Programming for the web with reference to current standards
    • Programming tools, including:
      • Web programming
      • Forms and data
      • Limiting access
      • Developing dynamic content
      • Interfacing with a database
      • Security and privacy
      • Public and private key encryption
    • Hosting environments:
      • Storage services
      • Backup, archiving, business continuity and disaster recovery
      • RAID, SAN
      • Server virtualisation
      • Cloud computing
      • Web services (SOAP and REST)
      • Security and governance for cloud services
    • Networking:
      • Local and wide area networking, including:
        • Available architectures
        • Performance issues
        • Scalability
        • Bridging versus routing
        • Cabling infrastructure
        • Hubs
        • Traffic management
      • Data exchange protocols
      • Data exchange standards – Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) and Healthcare Level 7 (HL7)
      • Links to hospital administration systems

Clinical experiences

Important information

Clinical experiential learning is the range of activities trainees may undertake in order to gain the experience and evidence to demonstrate their achievement of module competencies and assessments. The list is not definitive or mandatory, but training officers should ensure, as best training practice, that trainees gain as many of these clinical experiences as possible. They should be included in training plans, and once undertaken they should support the completion of module assessments and competencies within the e-portfolio.

Activities

  1. Attend a patient clinic visit to see how a computer system is used.
  2. Shadow clinical staff in a department where clinical computing provides a service.
  3. Observe how computing systems are used in direct patient care.
  4. Shadow an informatics professional to observe hardware installation/maintenance in the organisations data center.
  5. Attend a patient participation event where patient experience/feedback is discussed.
  6. Attend a multidisciplinary team discussion where data from multiple computing systems is used, for example a radiology clinical meeting.

Module assigned to

Specialties

Specialty code Specialty title View
Specialty code SBI1-2-22 Specialty title Clinical Scientific Computing [2022] Action View
Specialty code SBI1-2-23 Specialty title Clinical Scientific Computing [2023] Action View
Specialty code SBI1-2-24 Specialty title Clinical Scientific Computing [2024] Action View
Specialty code SBI1-2-25 Specialty title Clinical Scientific Computing [2025] Action View