User Acceptance Testing is the final stage of testing before go-live conversion.  Unlike the other stages of testing which can involve the same individuals, acceptance testing should be performed by individuals who have not been closely involved in the project to date.  Those involved in the project may have become immune to issues in navigation or workflow that are problematic for naïve users.

Acceptance Testing Basics

• A wide variety of individuals should be recruited to perform this testing
• Each individual does not need to make a large time commitment.  It is more important to have breadth of testing instead of depth.  Acceptance testing can be done in small time aliquots.
• Ideally some computer savvy individuals and some computer naïve individuals should be selected
• A variety of medical specialties should be selected.
• Creativity may be required in order to recruit enough physicians.  Consider having testing stations outside the cafeteria, in the doctor’s lounge, before or after department meetings or medical staff meetings.  The project team may need to go to the physician in their office or department
• This can be an excellent time to recruit a prominent physician or administrator to become hands on with the project.  It is very compelling for staff to hear that the Chief Nursing Officer or the Department Chair of Surgery was part of the system testing. 

Acceptance testing scripts

• Scripts for acceptance testing should have an action and an expected result, like other scripts.  However, since the tester is not as familiar with the system, more specific instructions may be needed, almost bordering on training level materials.  
• Sometimes screen shots to walk the tester through the application will be helpful.  
• Because this is performed by end users, relevant clinical data is a must.  Many physicians will not be able to see system functionality if the test script calls for an improper medication dose or the contra-indicated procedure.
• Assure that issues are being documented as well as items that might need to be high-lighted during training.