Application Support and Test Analyst Public Health Information Systems

In accordance with the Mission, Vision and Values, and strategic directions of Provincial Health Services Authority patient safety is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone at PHSA, and as such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position.

Reporting to the Manager, Business Intelligence Solutions, the Application Support & Test Analyst performs technical quality assurance on operational and project functions related to the development, deployment and sustainment of the Public Health Information System. The Analyst develops, facilitates and completes a wide variety of test cases and test scripts and carries out timely and efficient testing of the application. The Analyst works collaboratively with all members of the Clinical Information Solutions team in the planning, development and execution of unit, integrated and end-to-end system testing. The Analyst provides feedback on existing test processes, documents issues and defects and provides periodic reports on overall testing progress to the Clinical Information Solutions team. The Analyst role includes application trouble-shooting, participation in the coordination of upgrades and patches, defects documentation and feedback.

Duties/Accountabilities:

• Develops test cases and test scripts from project requirements, business requirements, design documentation, workflow processes, test plans and release notes. Executes and/or coordinates testing, including unit testing, system integration testing, regression testing, end-to-end testing and user acceptance testing (UAT) for the application. Provides feedback and revision on existing testing processes.
• Coordinates with source systems to facilitate the development of QA data for testing purposes. Uses QA data to conduct feasibility studies by performing such tasks as examining and identifying problems, determining and recommending modifications, testing alternative solutions and reviewing the impact of implemented resolutions over time. Provides input on communications bulletins and training materials to reflect findings of testing and promote learning and optimal use of the application.
• Document test results, logs and tracks defects and participates in bug review processes to identify priorities and remediation strategies. Communicates defects/issues to the Clinical Information Solutions team and works closely with them and with the software vendor as required to resolve defects. Prepares reports on defects and problems that arise during test cycles.
• Participates in the coordination of system upgrades, patches and other maintenance. In collaboration with the CI Solutions team, prepares upgrade plans, collaborates on the development of bulletins and communications about changes and assists team members.
• Provides support to advanced users of the application. Tasks include functional application orientation and training, coaching, trouble-shooting, correcting minor system faults, classifying issues and requests according to urgency and resolving or escalating problems. Support and training may be formal and pre-planned or ad hoc, and may include assessment of user needs and evaluation of training effectiveness.
• Assists with business process redesign by providing input/feedback to the team on processes and opportunities for process improvement and optimal use of the application and related tools to meet business requirements. Uses a variety of tools to support current/future state analysis and data gathering, including flowcharts, data flow diagrams and spreadsheets using software such as MS Excel and MS Visio.
• Ensures issues are properly documented using appropriate tools and communicated to all relevant stakeholders.

A level of education, training and experience equivalent to a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science, Health Information Science or a related field, plus three (3) years recent related experience in QA, testing, preferably in a health care setting, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

Ability to communicate effectively and clearly, both verbally and in writing. Thorough, detail-oriented and logical approach to testing. Experience with producing test plans and test scripts. Experience working closely with technical and business analysts. Strong organizational and time management skills, ability to multi-task. Familiarity with PHSA environment and exposure to Public Health Information systems development and projects is highly desirable. Accurate and detail-oriented. Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills. Knowledge of SQL, UML, XML, Web Services, SnagIT (or similar), HTML, and MS Office Applications particularly MS Word, Excel, Visio and PowerPoint. Experience with SQL, Selenium (or similar), JMeter (or similar), Java and XPath would be an asset.