Clinical Context Domain

The Clinical Context Domain is represented by a 4 elements capturing the range and diversity of clinical contexts in which the research workforce works.

• Clinical Governance - Accountability for continuous improvement in the quality of services and safeguarding high standards of care in an environment where clinical care flourishes.

• Patient Care Pathway - A predictable clinical courses, involving multidisciplinary management, in which the different tasks by the professionals involved are defined, optimised and sequenced.

• Clinical Communication - Person-centered communication that respects and values concerns, ideas, expectations, needs, feelings in any health condition and according to social or cultural context.

• Clinical Care - Direct delivery of care to the patient by the health or care professional.

The IWF methodology supports inclusion of Clinical Context as an identified and variable proportion of focus with an IWF ‘Level’ for individual roles. Using the IWF to support local description of the clinical context and relevant skills will highlight requirements for appropriate development and training, for example the Care Certificate. The Clinical Context Element is needed because this is where research is taking place and while clerical staff for example may not be on the front line, they support and enhance the patient experience with an awareness of the clinical context.