Modernisation of clinical scientist training in Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering

1
Modernisation of clinical scientist training in
Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering

• Amicus/HPA Annual Delegate and Professional
  Conference
• 20th October 2006

2
Drivers for change

• Modernisation of pre-registration education and
  training
• Independently quality assured
• Too long and too expensive
• Healthcare Science career pathway
• More consultants more like medical model
• More associate practitioners
• Foster review of non-medical regulation
  agreement to record post-registration
  qualifications in the register

3
Pre registration Education and Training
Modernisation

• Approved by Ministers, UK wide acceptance
• Part of HCS work programme within Skills for
  Health
• Aim to modernise pre-registration education and
  training both regulated groups and all aspirant
  groups
• Funding and commissioning arrangements

4
General principles

• Fitness for practice programmes
• Defined scope of practice linked to service needs
  appropriate to level of underpinning knowledge
• Professional (workplace) practice embedded within
  programmes/awards, informed by HCS NOS and linked
  to robust assessment of competence
• Independently assessed and quality assured
• Clear APEL arrangements to facilitate fast
  tracking
• Opportunities for common approaches to delivery (
  generic/core)

5
Considerations

• Streamlining of modalities/sub modalities
• Nationally defined scope of practice
• Supports different routes of entry
• Education and Training programmes funded and
  commissioned need to submit to spending review
  in early 2007
• Salary versus bursary
• Linked to Higher Specialist Training with
  consultant as career grade

6
Future model of regulation
Scope of Practice
Standardised Education and Training
Protected Title
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Clinical Science Scope of Practice - i

• Plan a range of investigations / procedures /
  processes to support and improve patient care in
  the context of patient, samples and/or
  technology.
• Perform a range of specialist scientific /
  clinical investigations / procedures / processes
  to support patient care in the context of the
  patient, samples and/or technology
• Plan and prospectively review / instigate patient
  treatment or management programmes for groups or
  individuals and/or technologies.

8
Clinical Science Scope of Practice - ii

• 4. Report and interpret results of
  investigations, procedures or processes for
  patients / samples / measurements / technology
• 5. Monitor and report on progress of the patient
  conditions / technology and the need for further
  intervention.
• 6. Apply and maintain and be capable of setting
  quality standards, control and assurance
  techniques, including restorative action, assure
  high quality interventions across all clinical
  scientific and technological activity.

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Clinical Science Scope of Practice - iii

• 7. Provide clinical and/or scientific advice and
  information to healthcare and other
  professionals, patients and their carers to
  support effective assessment, diagnosis,
  management and treatment of patients and/or
  patient services.
• 8. Communicate clinical and/or scientific
  knowledge to a range of audiences, including
  professionals and patients
• 9. Plan, organise and prioritise own work
  activities, practices and tasks

10
Clinical Science Scope of Practice - iv

• 10. Undertake peer reviewed research and
  disseminate results.
• 11. Using Knowledge Management techniques
  including critical appraisal undertake audits and
  service development to improve quality of service
  provided.

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Scope of Practice

• Defined scope of practice
• Clinical Scientist is too broad
• IPEM view to keep the scope of practice and
  protected title as broad as possible (Clinical
  Engineer, Medical Physicist)
• Defines the learning outcomes for the education
  and training
• BUT remember we currently register people within
  modality and not within broad scope of practice
• AND we have the tension between the narrowness of
  the scope of practice and the viability of
  education training

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• Radiotherapy Physics
• Nuclear Medicine Physics
• Diagnostic Radiology
• Radiation Safety
• MR
• Ultrasound
• Non-ionising

?
85
Medical Physics

• Biomechanical Evaluation and function
• Medical Instrumentation and Computer Science
• Assistive technology
• Clinical Measurement
• Medical Engineering Design
• Medical Equipment management

?
Clinical Engineering
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Proportion of trainees
Higher specialist areas
Broad scopes of practice
13
(No Transcript)
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Professional doctorate model

• 3 years is a given
• 2 terms academic, 3 terms research project, 4
  terms professional practice
• Elective in second summer
• Relevant PhD no need to do research element
  registration in 2 years
• May be able to extend programmes to real PhD
• Must link to HST
• Proposal NOT accepted by DH yet.
• Start September 2008 at the earliest
• Good feedback from HEIs
• More than part I but less than part II

15
Common core training

• One third of IPEM MSc syllabus core content
• Two thirds specialist modules
• Do not want to change that balance
• MSc syllabus maps reasonably well onto SFH common
  core training some gaps on both sides
• Subject of further debate

16
Higher specialist training(HST)

• Those seeking to act as consultants
• MRCPath for Clinical Biochemists
• There need to be a similar model for Clinical
  Engineers and Medical Physicists in the NHS
• Link to appropriate Royal College?
• Mark on the register
• This must be in place if we are to accept the
  changes to pre-registration training

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Risks

• Current MSc programmes rely on overseas students
  and self-funders to remain viable need to
  retain flexibility for Universities to keep
  course viable
• No HST scheme in place for medical physics
  clinical engineering. IPEM need to develop a
  professional body exam equivalent to MRCPath.
  Possible link to a Royal College
• Too much emphasis on common module approach at
  the expense of specialist training
• Management of clinical practice placements
  ownership of trainees
• Bursaries need to attract high calibre
  applicants
• Maintain flexible routes of entry

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Summary

• Change is a given
• Aim for career grade to be consultant and medical
  model of training
• Generic scope of practice acceptable
• 2 scopes of practice Medical Physics and
  Clinical Engineering
• 3 year programme in the university sector a given
• IPEM supports the professional doctorate model
• Recognise that this is a different animal
• Link to HST a must
• Need to develop HST
• Avoid loss of teaching time on specialist training