“My motivation arises from the belief that a tester with a comprehensive understanding of the application’s entire operation can ensure better product quality,” is how Tatjana Vidjak sees her work and where she finds motivation.

Tatjana is a QA engineer in our Clinical team. With an education in organisational sciences, she quickly realised her dream job was to be a QA engineer because she “truly enjoys reopening tasks for programmers”. She has worked in telecommunications and e-logistics, but for her, testing healthcare applications is special, and this is how she started working for Better. For her, working at Better means “good relationships within the team and between teams, effective organisation and work planning, as well as efficient communication and collaboration”. Read the whole interview and get to know Tatjana.  

Could you describe a typical day for you as a QA engineer on the Clinical team? What are some of your key responsibilities?  

As a QA engineer, I am responsible for delivering quality products to our customers. This involves ensuring that new features and changes are implemented without errors. I also check the results of our programmers’ work – whether it has been done as specified, whether anything is missing, or whether we overlooked something during development. I also consider what aspects of the programme could be affected by these changes and whether the application still functions as it did before.  

In addition to testing, I collaborate and communicate with programmers, analysts, project leaders, external systems integrated into our application, and customers throughout all phases of our development. Occasionally, my role also involves providing 24/7 customer support, which presents a unique challenge.  

You have been with Better (and before that Marand) since 2014 – what has kept you motivated and passionate about your work in QA over the years?

I have been fortunate enough that each new job I have taken on has been better than the last. In the past, I worked in telecommunications and e-logistics, but testing healthcare applications is special. My initial challenge was the complexity of Clinical, and it took me some time to get the hang of it. My motivation arises from the belief that a tester with a comprehensive understanding of the application’s entire operation can ensure better product quality and prepare and verify a wider range of potential test scenarios.  

Customer support presents a unique challenge, and through this role, I have gained great insight into what matters most to our customers: a stable product that simplifies their work and increases their efficiency with as much patient data as possible. After several years of working on Clinical, I had the opportunity to contribute to the Zora 2 (Zorica) project. I looked forward to the new experience: new technologies, content, tools, and approach to testing. This project was a special experience and a foundation for my ongoing work on Clinical Modules. There are still many challenges ahead for our team, so motivation remains strong. 😊  

What originally inspired you to pursue a career in IT, and what has influenced your journey to become a QA engineer?  

In primary and secondary school, I enjoyed mathematics the most, which was not very common among my classmates. I lacked the courage to enroll in one of those “difficult” faculties, so I chose a nearby Faculty of Organisational Sciences, where I learned a “little bit” of everything. When I first started working, I realised that my dream job was to be a QA engineer. I truly enjoy reopening tasks for programmers 😊. 

Healthcare applications require rigorous testing to ensure reliability. What unique challenges do you face when testing different applications and solutions? 

It is frustrating for customers when existing functionality stops working due to new changes we implement. As I mentioned earlier, Clinical is a large and complex product, which presents challenges in regression verification, especially when certain modifications require a review of the entire application. We have over 600 regression test scenarios to execute. To ensure reliability, we typically assess which parts of the application are affected by the new changes and collaboratively determine which regression tests need to be run before release. 

With the development of independent modules for Clinical, built using new technologies, we have an excellent opportunity to consider implementing automated testing. However, this would require knowledge and available resources. Artificial intelligence could also provide valuable support. 

What do you find most rewarding about working in healthcare IT, especially when you consider the impact on patients and medical professionals? 

I have experienced this most often in customer support when a customer expresses their gratitude in the nicest possible way. This was particularly evident during the Covid period when we added new departments in Clinical and helped new users learn to work with the Clinical application in the shortest possible time. It was really satisfying to be able to contribute to the benefit of patients by supporting medical staff in their work.

Is there a recent project or task you have been working on that has made you feel especially excited about the future of healthcare technology?

We have begun breaking down the Clinical application into individual, independent modules, each defined by its specific clinical content, similar to what was done with OPENeP. Clinical modules based on the openEHR standard will enable the integration into various healthcare systems worldwide, tailored to meet their specific needs. We are currently in the final stages of completing the Laboratory module. 

Better’s mission is to create a more open, data-driven healthcare ecosystem. How do you see your work contributing to this mission?

QA must ensure the quality of the product, regardless of the technology or application used or the browser or device supported. Our task is to find the methods and tools to achieve this, especially if they are not already in use. 

How do you see the future of healthcare technology, especially with standards like openEHR, and what role will it play in that future?

We can already see from our users that they want as much information as possible about patients and make use of every option currently available to them in Clinical, such as access to CRPP and UKC Karton. I believe that openEHR standards will be used as a centralised repository in the future to store and share patient data across various healthcare systems.

When you’re not working, how do you like to spend your free time? What hobbies and interests occupy your afternoons and weekends?

I love spending time in nature – going for walks, cycling, hiking up nearby hills, skiing, and mushroom picking in the fall. I also enjoy reading a good book or watching an engaging movie. Like any mom, I cherish having my family together, whether by cooking something special for them or going somewhere together. 

What does Better mean to you?

To me, first and foremost, Better means good relationships within and between teams, effective organisation and work planning, and efficient communication and collaboration. These elements are the foundation for successful projects and a successful company.