“We want to thank Huld’s experts for their excellent coordination. In my opinion, the testing was managed very professionally and we received good tools for the future”, says Project Manager Riitta Johannala-Kemppainen from Kymsote.
The Social and Health Care Services in Kymenlaakso, Kymsote, utilised Huld’s expertise in the start-up testing of the patient information system. As a familiar and skilled operator, Huld was a natural choice. The aim of the start-up testing was to ensure secure and smooth commencement of the system and its approval as part of Kymsote’s ICT entity. Huld’s experts lent their competence to the project, combining skilled completion of the testing and in-depth knowledge of the social and health care sector. Huld had a highly responsible role in this large-scale project that combined the patient information systems of the municipality, as the company was responsible not only for coordinating the testing but also for the quality assurance of the system environment.
Huld implemented systematic testing and documenting practices that facilitated reducing the problem-solving-related workload of the testers, who acted as the end users. The practices also ensured that the progress of the testing could be monitored and that the testing data can be easily accessed afterwards where required. The method of reporting testing observations was developed to make it easier to use and have a fixed form, encouraging a more accurate recording of observations. Huld also ensured comprehensive reporting of the testing situation and unsolved problems throughout the project.
The systematic approach received praise from the client, information system supplier, testers, and other interest groups.
“We want to thank Huld’s experts for their excellent coordination. In my opinion, the testing was managed very professionally and we received good tools for the future”, says Project Manager Riitta Johannala-Kemppainen from Kymsote.
The patient information system contains many functions and related operating models, and a large volume of integrations with separate systems. Huld coordinated the testing of the established entity, managed its profitability and progress, and provided training on the testing practices. The coordination was completed successfully remotely. The quick meetings organised daily by Huld offered the testers working at various sides of the municipality an opportunity to engage in peer discussions and remain up-to-date of the current situation The testers brought up challenges and topical matters actively.
“Based on the comments received from the testers, the testing practices and systematic coordination clarified the progress of the testing and ensured communication between the testers and the system suppliers. It was good that Huld’s experts forwarded problems to relevant parties where required, and also solved some of them. Developing the operating model of the testing was also a great help”, says Johannala-Kemppainen.
The patient information system must not disturb the actual care work of the care personnel. In connection to the acceptance test, Huld implemented a user experience test that analysed and recorded problems related to user experience and usability in the patient information system. Huld’s aim was to encourage health care professionals to adopt a more user-oriented way of thinking to prevent the challenges related to the user experience from becoming a norm. As a result, a comprehensive image was established of the patient information system’s current user experience, together with a list of proposals as to how related challenges could be tackled.
“The user experience testing highlighted the workflows that we have since then followed in our everyday work. This enabled us to make the system reliable in terms of the requirements set for care and nursing work. We have not been able to avoid the disappointment of individual users with certain functions, but, on the other hand, many of the users use the system in accordance with the expectations specified in the training. This, i.e. the operation of the system in accordance with expectations, has facilitated high-quality care and nursing work starting from start-up”, says the Head of Information Management Matti Ahola from Kymsote.
As the result of the cooperation between Huld and Kymsote, a comprehensively tested patient information system and related environment was taken into use after the new year in 2019. The project also facilitated making the testing and quality assurance practices of Kymsote’s information systems more systematic and comprehensive.