Unlocking Testing Efficiency and Reliability: A Case Study Anthology on EMR Test Automation

According to a recent HIMSS report, nearly all testing leaders at U.S. healthcare providers reported insufficient testing coverage increasingly risks patient lives, although 3-in-4 providers have increased spending on software testing in the past two years.

In this unprecedented time of change, organizations are under constant pressure to do more with less and healthcare IT leaders are now being tasked to leverage the various benefits of automation to optimize patients' digital experiences and ensure software quality on an ever-shrinking budget.

To maximize the value of your test automation investments, you need a solution that is designed, built, and managed for efficency and ccompliance with tringent regulations over protected health information (PHI). An AI-powered test automation solution helps you achieve both by:

· Auto-generating test cases based on historical patterns, user behavior data, and prioritized cases.

· Validating any element on any screen or device via advanced computer vision.

· Giving time back to nurses, clinicians, and other business testers by avoiding them having to test.

In this case study anthology, you’ll see how three KEYSIGHT’s Eggplant healthcare customers have overcome manual testing challenges and generated tangible results through AI-powered EMR test automation.

Figure 1. Top 4 benefits of test automation for healthcare (Source: Vital Signs report. Keysight, 2023)

Antwerp University Hospital (UZA) Tests 1,700 Medications Overnight

The University Hospital Antwerp (UZA) wanted a smooth operation of their Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system, which required consistent troubleshooting, configuration, and adaptation as needed. With the help of Keysight's Eggplant, they embarked on an ambitious transformation from manual to automated testing for essential components.

Our customer

Antwerp University Hospital (UZA) is a globally recognized academic hospital located in Belgium. UZA houses an extensive range of medical and surgical specialties, such as cardiology, oncology, neurology, pediatrics, and orthopedics. Central to the hospital's functioning is its electronic medical records (EMR) system, maintained by approximately 20 application experts.

How we helped

Eggplant helped UZA's EMR team to ensure the effective implementation of the EMR system functions, minimizing the risk of errors and improving testing processes by incorporating clinical data.

The obstacles they faced

As the hospital was in the project phase of implementing its EMR system, its testing process was somewhat old school, relying heavily on manual testing using Excel sheets and directories on a shared drive. It meant that not everything could be thoroughly tested.

What we achieved together

Since implementing Eggplant, the hospital has achieved efficient regression testing of large item volumes – including testing 1,700 medications overnight. This automated EMR testing strategy empowers the hospital to efficiently test the most critical items while freeing up their team to focus on other crucial tasks.

University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) Slashes Testing Time by 85%

The University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) sought a user-friendly tool for testing the rollout of their EMR system that operates on a Citrix server. Eggplant resulted in significant time and resource savings from regression testing. Simultaneously, they were able to achieve service assurance for critical aspects of the hospital's operations, enhancing overall efficiency and effectiveness.

Our customer

Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the University of Michigan consistently ranks as one of the largest health systems in Michigan and a premier academic medical center.

How we helped

With its image-based approach to GUI testing, Eggplant can interact with any device or application just like a user does. We helped develop automated scripts for test preparation activities, including automating the process of creating thousands of test patients with different sets of test patient data.

The obstacles they faced

The EMR system is integral to the day-to-day operation of the organization. While it’s crucial that the testing can identify any issue to ensure each function works as planned, their automation tool could not test the rollout of Epic, which runs on a Citrix server.

What we achieved together

Manually populating the different test environments with test patients can be time-consuming, taking up to 10 minutes to create a single new patient registration. However, with Eggplant, the same task is accomplished in just 1.5 minutes. Additionally, they also used Eggplant to automate the repetitive steps of placing orders which helped to fulfill the CPOE bulk testing requirements. This automation development has significantly freed up time for their testing staff, allowing them to concentrate on more valuable testing activities.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) Selected Eggplant as the Preferred Automation Tool

OUH required an automated test tool utilizing image recognition technology to test Cerner Millennium on the Citrix user interface. They chose Eggplant after evaluating cost, flexibility, scalability, quality of support, ease of use, and other criteria.

Our customer

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH), being one of the largest NHS teaching Trusts in the UK, has earned a global reputation for its exceptional standards in healthcare, training, and research. The Trust implemented Cerner Millennium software in 2011 to store and manage patient data.

How we helped

OUH used Eggplant to automate various activities, such as specific regression testing, populating training domains, appointment scheduling, and adding patient observations. By utilizing Eggplant's automation capabilities, OUH benefits from enhanced reliability, predictability, and consistency in testing processes.

The obstacles they faced

The process of setting up a new training domain for users involves a substantial amount of data input. Performing this task manually would be exceptionally labor-intensive and time-consuming.

What we achieved together

Having the ability to monitor our live system and promptly identify any unintended changes before they impact users became a significant advantage. This capability allows OUH to proactively address issues and make necessary fixes, ultimately resolving live issues faster.