Improving User Experiences in Healthcare Sector
Technology can be a great ally in improving the performance of healthcare systems. In recent years there has been a significant increase in the use of technology in the healthcare sector. From research for the development of new drugs, to the analysis of medical data for better diagnosis, there are numerous examples where technology has been a determining factor for the industry.
However, for digitization to be fully effective, designers and developers of healthcare applications need to be aware of who the target audience of the programs is and how they will be used, and adapt the interfaces to improve user experiences in healthcare sector.
Within these applications we refer to healthcare system websites, mobile applications for communications with patients, as well as the more technical programs used by professionals.
What is user experiences in the healthcare sector?
The healthcare sector involves a large number of services and products (both physical and digital) aimed at maintaining or improving people’s health through the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, injuries and other physical and mental disabilities, as well as their recovery.
By user experiences in the healthcare sector, we refer to the experience that the target user of a digital application has while using it. Taking into account the user experience in the services and products offered can lead to:
- Increased patient satisfaction and engagement
- Increased efficiency for suppliers
- Improved accessibility
Main challenges in user experience design in the healthcare sector.
Despite the growing incorporation of technology in the health sector, there are still some challenges to be solved. These challenges are generally due to the fact that in the technology sector, on many occasions, applications are developed based on innovative ideas that are not always related to the real needs of the end users of these technologies.
For example, transferring data between hospitals has always been one of the biggest problems as text-based files make it difficult for medical professionals or healthcare applications to instantly find the diseases and treatment that comprise a patient’s medical history.
Simplifying complex processes and workflows is another challenge facing this industry in the digitization process. Large volumes of medical data are managed and need to be recorded and stored for quick and efficient subsequent use.
Another difficulty faced by this industry is matching user needs with strict privacy and data protection regulations. Healthcare applications must be simple and easy to manage but at the same time robust enough to ensure the protection of sensitive information.
Finally, another challenge is to ensure that information is accessible to all types of users, including people with disabilities and limited technical knowledge. It is important to design interfaces that are easy to understand and offer a fluid interaction and also take into account the emotional charge of the information requested and displayed in some cases.
Strategies to Improve the user experiences of health applications and make them more accessible:
To create more accesible user experiences in healthcare sector, it is necessary that application design strategies take into account the concept of Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC). That is, technology providers need to be aware of the healthcare regulations that need to be complied with, take special care with the management of sensitive patient data as well as ensure the operational efficiency of digital systems.
On the other hand, it is important that the design of technological applications takes into account the diversity of users possible so as to provide equal opportunities of access and use of the application to the diversity of people that make up the groups of patients, physicians and other professionals.
A better user experience can also lead to easier deployment of the system to ensure that the maximum number of people targeted by the software will use it.
Some of the keys to improving the user experiences in healthcare sector are as follows:
#1 The design of applications that take into account not only patients but also caregivers and healthcare professionals.
In some cases, the people who are going to use the digital platforms are not the patients but the caregivers. This includes caregivers, family members and even friends. The user experience must be sufficiently robust, easy to learn and user-friendly so that all these groups have the same ease of access and handling of information.
#2 Designs that comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
It is increasingly recommended (not to say mandatory) to develop websites according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines can help developers create adaptive content that displays well in various formats, tailored to the user’s needs, without losing any information. These guidelines provide detailed guidance on how to create accessible and easy-to-use digital user interfaces. They also provide useful principles, such as ensuring that non-text content contains textual descriptions and enabling full keyboard functionality.
Implementing these guidelines and principles improve user experiences in healthcare sector, improving patient satisfaction and understanding.
#3 Continuous improvement from feedback.
The design of healthcare system applications should not be a one-time effort but a process characterized by continuous improvement.
Indeed, before and after the launch, it is important to perform periodic evaluations of the quality and usability of the system, as well as the performance of the application. Users can provide valuable feedback to improve user experiences in healthcare sector. Incorporating regular evaluations of digital products developed for the healthcare sector ensures that, as the application evolves, it maintains accessibility standards and adapts to new regulations or needs that may arise.
To request this feedback, communication channels can be enabled in the application itself or user experience studies can be carried out with representative samples belonging to different groups that, through surveys or interviews, provide structured feedback.
#4 Creating inclusive designs
Digital applications must have sufficiently friendly designs so that any user can become familiar with them without any kind of friction.
Often, tools that are designed primarily for healthcare professionals are too difficult to use. This can slow down the learning period for professionals as well as hinder the efficiency and productivity of healthcare systems.
While an application for storing patient records must be robust and comprehensive for the healthcare professionals who use it to record data, it must also be simple enough for patients to navigate their records, update their information and schedule appointments.
It is important to remember that when one of the user segments involved in the healthcare system has difficulties, this negatively affects the entire user ecosystem.
#5 Adopting universal usability principles.
Within the context of the user experience of digital applications, there are a number of principles that are applicable to all types of platforms regardless of industry.
These principles have the common goal of creating environments, services and products that are easier to use, regardless of users’ capabilities or circumstances. In the context of user experiences in healthcare sector, this means creating digital health platforms that are easily navigable, understandable and usable by as many users as possible.
These universal principles are as follows:
- Multisensory interactions: These ensure that an application allows users to respond to its interactive elements using more than one sensory modality. This includes incorporating visual, auditory or haptic responses to meet a wider range of user needs and capabilities. For example, a user with auditory dysfunction might benefit from visual alerts, while a user with visual dysfunction might find audio cues more useful.
- Scalability and flexibility: User experiences in healthcare must be flexible and scalable to meet the unique requirements of different user groups. Therefore, the design of an application must allow for customization, such as allowing the visually impaired user to adjust text size and contrast.
- Simple and easy to learn user interfaces: Users often find healthcare systems overwhelming due to their complexity. Designers can counter this trend by making an application’s user interface simple and easy to learn, using common symbols, well-organized layouts and logical navigation paths. All of these design aspects contribute to making the user experience more comfortable and efficient.
- Diversity of languages: The global nature of the applications used in the healthcare sector requires considering language diversity as part of the design. Therefore, it is important to professionally translate not only the user interface, but also the user manuals of applications aimed at professionals.
#6 Incorporation of chatbots and virtual assistants.
The use of artificial intelligence provides opportunities to improve the user experiences in healthcare sector. Chatbots and virtual assistants, for example, allow users to enhance their experience during different activities such as booking appointments, communicating complaints or suggestions, resolving frequently asked questions, etc.
Conclusion
There are still many challenges in the digitization of the healthcare sector. These challenges can be overcome if digital applications are developed taking into account the importance of an optimal user experience. Therefore, it is important to take into account, during the software design and development phase, compliance with various accessibility standards whose objective is summarized in the creation of environments, services and products that are easier to use, regardless of the user’s capabilities or circumstances.
On the other hand, it is important to take into account the global nature of the applications used in the healthcare sector, so the correct translation of the existing content of the user interface in the various languages where it will be introduced in the market as well as the user manuals is crucial. For this, there is no choice but to rely on certified professionals who have experience in translating documents in the health sector.
