1. Society for Clinical Data Management (SCDM). (2023). Good Clinical Data Management Practices (GCDMP). In Section 5, "Computerized Systems," the principles of system validation are detailed. Specifically, section 5.4.3 "Testing" outlines that test documentation must include test cases with expected outcomes. The execution of these tests involves comparing the actual outcome to the expected outcome to determine pass/fail status.
2. ISPE. (2008). GAMP 5: A Risk-Based Approach to Compliant GxP Computerized Systems. The guide's sections on Verification (Testing), such as D4 "Test Execution," explicitly state that test records must document the evidence of testing, which includes the expected results from the test script and the actual results observed during execution, along with a pass/fail determination.
3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (2003). Guidance for Industry: Part 11, Electronic Records; Electronic Signatures — Scope and Application. While a broader guidance, it reinforces the need for validated systems. The principles of validation inherently require documented evidence that the system performs as intended, which is demonstrated through testing where actual results meet expected results. A failure is documented when they do not.
4. Coons, S. J., Eek, D., & Gater, A. (2014). From Paper to Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome (ePRO) Instruments: A Commentary on the ISPOR ePRO Good Research Practices Task Force Report. Value in Health, 17(5), 483–486. This article discusses the validation of ePRO instruments, which includes user acceptance testing (UAT). UAT, like all formal testing, relies on test scripts that define expected outcomes, and the documentation of these tests captures the actual outcomes. (See section on "Usability Testing"). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2014.05.005