Software Quality Assurance of Information Systems in Healthcare: A Methodological Review

Abstract

Information systems in healthcare are crucial in facilitating digital storage, retrieval and sharing of health-related data. Literature reveals many different aspects of challenges, such as usability, interoperability, security, and data quality that impede their effectiveness. The role of Software Quality Assurance (SQA) could have been vital in developing and aligning information systems with the specifications and user needs. While there are diverse tools and measures presented in the studies of information systems in healthcare, there is a notable gap in the absence of synthesis as well as analysis of tools, metrics, and models utilized in healthcare information systems SQA methodologies. This study aims to analyze and synthesize SQA methodologies in the software development life cycle of information systems in healthcare. Using the 2020 PRISMA guidelines, 26 research papers were identified from PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Quantitative analysis was then conducted to identify themes and trends, consolidated best practices, challenges and the insights derived by their respective authors. It was shown that the frequency of methods in SDLC employed vary across papers. Overall impression however is that the SQA methodologies are adapted almost equally across the papers This study is significant for its comprehensive review of SQA methodologies, its potential to improve healthcare delivery and its contribution to the ongoing discourse in enhancing the quality and effectiveness of healthcare information systems. Its novelty, among others, lies in its focus on the phases of digital health systems life cycle that are often underemphasized.