Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39028552›Full record

ArticleJMIR nursing2024

Software Testing of eHealth Interventions: Existing Practices and the Future of an Iterative Strategy.

Oyinda Obigbesan, Kristen Graham, Karen M Benzies

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR nursing, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Oyinda ObigbesanCumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-4962-9112
Kristen GrahamHaskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.ORCID 0009-0003-5058-8527
Karen M BenziesCumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-9090-2395

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

eHealth interventions are becoming a part of standard care, with software solutions increasingly created for patients and health care providers. Testing of eHealth software is important to ensure that the software realizes its goals. Software testing, which is comprised of alpha and beta testing, is critical to establish the effectiveness and usability of the software. In this viewpoint, we explore existing practices for testing software in health care settings. We scanned the literature using search terms related to eHealth software testing (eg, "health alpha testing," "eHealth testing," and "health app usability") to identify practices for testing eHealth software. We could not identify a single standard framework for software testing in health care settings; some articles reported frameworks, while others reported none. In addition, some authors misidentified alpha testing as beta testing and vice versa. There were several different objectives (ie, testing for safety, reliability, or usability) and methods of testing (eg, questionnaires, interviews) reported. Implementation of an iterative strategy in testing can introduce flexible and rapid changes when developing eHealth software. Further investigation into the best approach for software testing in health care settings would aid the development of effective and useful eHealth software, particularly for novice eHealth software developers.

Indexed as

SoftwareTelemedicineHumansReproducibility of Resultsagile developmentalpha testingappbeta testingdigital healtheHealthhealth applicationshealth systemICTinformation and communication technologyliterature reviewmHealthmobile healthnarrative reviewreliabilitysafetysoftwaresoftware testingtestingusabilityusability testing

Identifiers

PMID39028552
PMCPMC11297368

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.