Health IT departments, coping with the financial pressures to do more with less and improve operational efficiency, are increasingly adopting automation to address the frequent upgrades and enhancements of EHR, third-party and enterprise applications.
However, it’s one thing to decide you need test automation and another thing entirely when it comes to implementing testing automation.
From finding the time to prioritize test automation (while also being asked to focus on other responsibilities) to navigating the communication and coordination challenges involved, moving from manual to automated testing can seem daunting.
Yet rapid implementation is possible and can continue to deliver high value, especially with a managed service solution that enables solid ROI in the first year. Here is how.
Set Expectations Upfront
While there’s a lot more to the story when it comes to partner selection, implementation starts with selecting a partner you trust – they understand the nuances of healthcare IT automation, have multiple referenceable clients, and bring workflow domain experience specific to EHR, third-party, and enterprise applications.
Now it’s time to get your team in place and thoroughly understand what is expected. Find out the level of involvement and time needed from your team, how long the implementation will take, and when you can expect to realize ROI. With the right partner, this is a light lift for your team.
It is important to have a comprehensive list of what the partner’s solution includes (as well as what is not), determine the partner’s confidence in their solution and their willingness to propose a fixed fee engagement. Check out client testimonials to get an idea of what working with them will be like to see if it is a good fit for your team.
Depending on the partner, you may have a contract that ends after implementation or an ongoing managed service solution. Have a game plan for what happens after implementation. Who will manage, update, and complete the continual development required to keep the test scripts up-to-date and automated? To maximize the efficiency of your test automation solution, choose a partner who will take care of this for you.
Communicate Frequently and Lead the Charge
Develop a communications plan early in the process. The plan should include a scheduled kick-off to engage analysts early, anticipate the road ahead, and educate the team on the value and time savings they will gain with their participation in the workflow capture sessions and video validation efforts. Leverage this opportunity as a talent attractor and retention strategy.
Make sure your plan also includes the goals and plans for the implementation process and establishes clear lines of communication and reporting among all stakeholders involved.
While the CIO or other senior leader must set a clear direction, enlisting a project liaison to “own” test automation implementation is important. Identify a project liaison to execute the communications plan with your implementation partner.
Key to their role is to work with the testing team to schedule and prioritize the workflow capture sessions and validation video reviews once development is complete. This makes all the difference in assuring rapid implementation of the test automation solution.
Keep Up the Pace with the Right Support
Following the initial implementation, it’s important for your partner to provide continuity of support. Look for a managed service solution that provides your organization with continual script development and maintenance, frequent testing, and real-time reporting and dashboards.
Having an assigned Test Automation Engineer is essential to stay several steps ahead of your scripts so you’re always ready for what comes next.
For our client health systems, SureTest’s dedicated client managers monitor automation performance to provide assurance that workflows are thoroughly tested before being introduced into the hospital’s production environment. Utilizing the SureTest Client Issue Tracking Database, the client manager tracks any internal system inefficiencies, risks to new optimization or build, patient safety issues if detected, etc.
If an automated script fails, the client manager determines the root cause, and either updates the script as appropriate, which they can do given their workflow domain expertise, or works directly with the client liaison to resolve and correct the issue.
SureTest’s managed service solution drives increased employee satisfaction. According to one of the health systems’ application analysts: “With SureTest, we don’t have to touch those scripts, and it is a huge timesaver for us. Once set up and vetted, we don’t have to do anything.”
How SureTest Delivers Rapid Implementation
But managed service is only part of the SureTest solution. We start with the SureMethod™ Framework, which creates and validates customized scripts. Our highly skilled engineers have the training necessary to manage, monitor, and update your scripts, which frees up your staff to spend time on other strategic work.
“It has been a pleasure working with SureTest. We were surprised and delighted with the speed to value and their ability to deploy automation in time for our Epic upgrade.” – Assistant Vice President of Information at a large southeastern health system.
The SureTest solution also includes the SureWorks™ Library. With over 2,500 workflows, the library jump-starts the speed of script development. It is configured to the workflow within a health system’s departments to provide end-to-end integrated and regression testing.
And it’s not just focused on EHRs – Workday, Infor, web and mobile workflows can also be included. SureTest supports those tools and can test the meaningful end-user workflow, regardless of where it occurs. If the action is completed with a mouse or a click, SureTest can automate it.
Finally, the cornerstone platform that powers SureTest’s intelligent test automation solution, transforms it into a turbocharged test automation “machine” to drastically improve testing quality and jump-start your automated testing, realizing benefits in 4-6 weeks. We can also help you set a current state ROI baseline for test automation and move forward with calculating your organization’s correct and real ROI.
Take a look at how we work with our partner to forge a powerful alliance that’s revolutionizing test automation.