Software and services company DVT is working with Vula Mobile to provide quality care to rural and remote patients, with a range of software testing and test automation services for the Vula Mobile smartphone app.
Connecting health workers in remote areas
The brainchild of Dr William Mapham, a registrar at the ophthalmology department of Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, Vula is a unique application that directly connects health workers in rural and remote areas in South Africa with specialist doctors at regional and urban hospitals.
Initially launched for ophthalmologists in 2014, the success of the app quickly caught the attention of medical professionals in other disciplines, and the app was expanded to include cardiology, orthopaedics and burns in 2016.
It now features 11 specialists, with more on the way. DVT was approached late last year to help the company troubleshoot and optimise the app as it continues to grow.
“One of the biggest healthcare challenges facing South Africa – and other developing countries around the world is access to specialist healthcare in rural and remote areas” said Vula Product Manager Debre Barett.
Automated test scripts in the development environment
“After an initial consultation that mapped out what we needed, the DVT team set up automated test scripts for the software in our development environment, and since then, we’ve been able to quickly and effectively diagnose any performance or functionality issues before they could impact our users.”
Izak Burger, Account Manager at DVT, says the role of software testing and test automation is often underestimated by app developers, to the detriment of their software, business and service.
“Not only is it necessary to test an application throughout its development and before launch, but it’s also even more important to continue testing the app as it evolves with new features and functions over time,” Burger said. “This applies in particular to mission-critical apps like Vula, where people’s lives can depend on its flawless functionality.”
“I’m glad to say that since starting to work with the team at DVT, we’ve ironed out some kinks in the software before they ever surfaced in the live app,” Barett added.
Edited from press release by Ella Donaldson
