Why a “Do-It-Yourself” Automation Approach Isn’t Right for Healthcare

  • By SureTest
  • October 10, 2022
for healthcare test automation, it is best left to specialists like SureTest.

The DIY approach is becoming more prevalent across various industries, even finding its way into test automation. While it may be suitable for a home improvement project or car repairs, for healthcare test automation, it is best left to specialists like SureTest.

The Nature of EHR, third-party, and enterprise application testing processes

Testing your EHR, third-party, and enterprise application testing processes is critical, but manual testing is time-consuming and labor-intensive. It often requires an “all-hands-on-deck” approach for upgrades and validation and can pull clinicians off the floor and other end-users away from patients.

It’s a cyclical process requiring quarterly upgrades to maintain testing integrity, making it feel like a never-ending battle for your staff. As such, healthcare organizations are looking for third-party automation solutions or attempting to build in-house.

Test Automation Basics

Test automation lets you leverage technology to test more thoroughly and much faster.

According to Electronic Design, “…the healthcare industry can’t function without proper healthcare applications, which is why it becomes important to be efficient, secure, and capable of handling large quantities of data. And the solutions must comply with HIPAA and other regulations. These qualities can only be authenticated by exhaustively testing the software application, and that’s through test automation.”

Applying a robust, expert approach to test automation helps mitigate risk and ensure every patient journey and workflow are accounted for.

The Problem with a DIY Approach

A DIY approach promises freedom from manual testing but achieving it places even more burdens on already burnt-out teams.

Software Testing Help outlines the 10-step process for undertaking test automation within your organization, including training your team (especially if manual testers are becoming automation engineers), creating the test automation framework, and writing and maintaining test scripts.

DIY test automation requires IT staff to dive into software development, which is a heavy lift. Your team may need to conquer multiple learning curves simultaneously, which takes time and lots of practice.

According to Tech Beacon, test automation software development requires knowledge of “a programming language, programming concepts, test automation tool or framework, source code management, and collaboration on a software project.”

Tech Beacon also warns that coding is not optional. “The biggest wake-up call for me, a manual tester trying to get into automation, was that automation isn’t about relying on learning a single testing tool, as it was in the old days… Now it’s much more difficult. In order to do really well in test automation, you must learn how to code.”

With DIY test automation, your team will need to do all the above, plus troubleshoot every issue you encounter. And when it comes to testing scripts, you will need to update them constantly to maintain testing integrity.

Organizations may think a DIY approach will gain freedom from manual testing and save money, but in the end, it costs time, resources, and a lot of mental energy. Building in-house often takes several years.

The Case for the “Freedom” Approach: Intelligent Healthcare IT Automation

Healthcare organizations are already dealing with staffing shortages, surging expenses, widespread burnout, and supply chain issues. You don’t need one more thing on your plate.

For EHR, third-party, and enterprise application testing processes, real freedom means not having to deal with it.

At SureTest, we understand the pressures facing the healthcare industry. That’s why we created intelligent healthcare IT automation.

With SureTest’s Test Automation Solution, you can:

  1. Take the enormous testing burden off your team’s shoulders with SureTest’s managed-service approach.

  2. Our turnkey test automation solution revolutionizes your entire approach to system upgrades and new implementations. Our experienced team understands the workflows and utilizes a rigorous methodology, the SureMethod® Framework, to create and validate customized scripts. Our highly skilled engineers have the training necessary to manage, monitor, and update your scripts, freeing up your staff to spend time on more strategic work. In addition to the SureMethod Framework, the SureTest solution also utilizes our SureWorks® Library, an extensive, proprietary automated test script collection, with SurePersona®, our powerful engine that emulates each team member’s precise function for each use case.

    SureWorks Library jumpstarts the speed of customized development and is constantly updated and customized to each workflow for end-to-end integrated and regression testing. What would take an organization several years to build in-house, SureTest delivers in a few months.

  3. “Supercharge” your Eggplant platform and gain maximum value from your investment.

  4. As a leading, certified Eggplant partner, we purposefully built our Test Automation Solution on the Eggplant platform due to its unique features. Eggplant allows SureTest to make the test automation process easier and faster with a user-based perspective that helps improve how you test. With Eggplant as our core platform, SureTest runs its unmatched library of test scripts, allowing our clients to operate more efficiently and get the most out of the platform. 

    Our clients also have a dedicated test automation engineer who stays one step ahead of even the slightest change, ensuring that your test scripts are always up-to-date. It’s one less thing your team has to spend time and energy on. Our engineers are Eggplant-certified, have previously held Epic and Cerner certifications, and have hands-on EHR builder experience. 

  5. Ramp up fast with a minimal time commitment.

  6. We only require a total client time commitment of 50-60 hours over a 6-9-month timeframe with just a couple of hours from each team member. You’ll gain leverageable automation in the first 4-6 weeks, with the full scope of automation within 6-9 months.

  7. Test more, faster, with drastically-improved quality.

  8. SureTest enables your organization to optimize staff, realize game-changing efficiency, and improve patient care. We eliminate up to 80% or more of manual testing activities, so you’ll only need a few QA specialists to handle rare exceptions. You can keep clinicians focused on delivering care and reallocate IT staff to more strategic projects.

  9. Gain incredible ROI that pays dividends.

  10. If you’re looking for phenomenal ROI, look no further. Realize a phenomenal positive ROI in Year 1 with a 3-year ROI of up to 200%+. Need proof? Check out SureTest’s ROI Calculator to determine how much time you can save by implementing our solution and request your detailed ROI analysis.

You Don’t Need Another Battle To Fight

There’s no need for DIY when you have a highly trained test automation team on your side. SureTest is a sure bet for revolutionizing your test automation, gaining incredible ROI, and freeing up your team so they can focus on what they do best.

Curious how other clients have benefited from SureTest’s Test Automation solution?

Check out the Novant Case Study