Introduction
The testing of the implementation of the new electronic health record system by the staff of the hospital should be based on the proposed testing scenario. In particular, it is essential to track the performance of the IV pumps in the course of transitioning to the electronic health record system to ensure its smooth functioning. The scenario should be based on a software testing methodology that foresees different stages of project development and allows for planning each step accurately. According to Gharajeh (2019), the Waterfall methodology is one of the most effective approaches to informatics technology testing since it has a linear, clear structure. In particular, the linear structure of the model implies that “every process is perfectly conducted as planned in the previous step without any need to think about the past issues” (Gharajeh, 2019, p. 76). Thus, the steps of the proposed testing scenario will comply with the Waterfall model and the integration of the V-model and will include unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and acceptance testing (Gharajeh, 2019). Each of these steps might be implemented in a linear manner.
Unit Testing
Initially, the functionality of the technology will be tested for its readiness for data processing and IV pump performance maintenance. According to Marcia-Dia, Dizon, and DiCarlo (2018), to test the specific procedural application, namely the IV pump, the unit items of equipment instruments lists and procedure lists should be checked. Thus, any disruption at this stage should be addressed and corrected for the application’s proper functioning.
Integration Testing
Next, the integration testing step will be completed by testing the concurrent functionality of the modules. For this testing stage, the specialists working on different units will collaborate to detect any drawbacks in the interfaces and in the capacity of the units to work within a single module (Marcia-Dia et al., 2018). It is essential to the proper performance of data processing in areas where the functionality of one unit depends on data in other ones. Therefore, close communication and immediate reporting of errors should be ensured in the testing teams.
System Testing
System testing is the next step of the testing scenario, which is built on the results of the previous two phases. In particular, at this stage, the whole system is run to identify whether the final product is ready for end-users. According to Marcia-Dia et al. (2018), systems testing is “performed by interfacing the hardware and software components of the whole system” (p. 7). Data sending and receiving should be flawless; interface messaging should work throughout the system; connection with external entities should be smooth, and any testing errors should be reported for correction (Marcia-Dia et al., 2018). Compliance with these requirements will demonstrate the successful completion of the system testing phase and will allow for transitioning to the next step of the testing scenario.
Acceptance Testing
Being the final step in the testing scenario, acceptance testing entails the checking of the technology for its applicability to end-users. In particular, at this stage, two cub stages should be completed, namely the internal testing, “which is carried out by the analysts, and external testing, which is carried out by the users (Marcia-Dia et al., 2018, p. 8). During the internal testing, the experts will have a chance to identify bugs and message or alerting functionality to eliminate any remaining errors. After that, user testing should be implemented with the following obtainment of feedback on the complications, uncertainties, or bugs in the technology using a survey method. Thus, the completion of the testing scenario will allow for ensuring performance excellence of the newly applied technology.
Testing Mitigation Plan
To address possible risks in a due manner, the team working on the software implementation testing should adhere to a testing mitigation plan. Overall, the potential benefits of safe implementation of healthcare technology include “improving healthcare quality, efficiency, and use of guidelines; and reducing both the incidence and associated costs of medication errors and adverse drug events” (Sipes, C. & Brokel, 2018, p. 5). The mitigation of foreseeable risks and the development of an action plan to address possible disruptions in the system functioning will help the healthcare facility deliver undisturbed and safe care to its patients. In particular, the plan includes the following steps based on the previously identified errors in the functionality of the IV pumps.
- The data should be backed up via cloud-based storage use, which will help to restore input data in case of disrupted work.
- Both wireless and wired connections should be available to avoid the failure of the wireless operability of IV pumps. It will allow for maintaining an undisrupted connection in the cases of patients transferring between units.
- Ensure manual monitoring of the flow of data between IV pumps and infusion.
- Enable immediate communication with IT experts in case of error messages occurring that prevent the program from further functioning or fatal error.
Thus, the implementation of this mitigation plan will allow for responding to possible errors in a timely manner.
References
Gharajeh, M. S. (2019). Waterative model: An integration of the waterfall and iterative software development paradigms. Database Systems Journal, 10, 75-81.
Marcia-Dia, M. J., Dizon, J., & DiCarlo, L. (2018). Project integration management and systems development life cycle: System configuration – testing. In T. L. Hebda et al. (eds.) Handbook of informatics for nurses and healthcare professionals (6th ed.) (pp. 2-52). New York, NY: Pearson.
Sipes, C. & Brokel, J. (2018). Healthcare information systems. In T. L. Hebda et al. (eds.) Handbook of informatics for nurses and healthcare professionals (6th ed.) (pp. 2-26). New York, NY: Pearson.