UX for Healthcare Apps: Challenges and Solutions

The healthcare industry has undergone an intense digital revolution over the last decade. Telemedicine, patient portals, and mobile health apps have become the core of patient care, and with that, the need for intuitive, secure, and accessible healthcare app UX has never been stronger. 79% of healthcare providers planned to use websites and SEO to reach more leads in 2024. [1] Designing for healthcare is not merely a cosmetic exercise—it's about striking a balance between complex user requirements, regulatory requirements, and accessibility while maintaining trust and user engagement.

In this article, we explore the unique requirements of medical app design, propose workarounds to address them, and illustrate best practices using real-world examples.

Healthcare is different from every other industry. The stakes are huge, and users come with varying levels of proficiency, ranging from digitally native millennials to elderly patients struggling to interact with digital interfaces. In Europe, 55% of people said they had turned to the web to find information related to injury, disease, nutrition, improving health, or similar. [2] The secret to solving the unique needs of healthtech UX is the first step towards designing effective and accessible medical apps.

Understanding the Patient Journey

Patient journey mapping is a significant aspect of healthcare app UX. Patients use healthcare apps during stressful or emergent conditions. Think of a patient accessing a telemedicine app to meet with a doctor about an unexpected rash—they need clear navigation, simple access to the essential features, and assurance that their data is secure.

Designing healthcare apps considers:

• Task-oriented design: Patients need to complete tasks—such as making bookings, viewing test results, or contacting providers—without unnecessary steps.
• Affective context: Patients may experience anxiety, frustration, or illness. UX needs to avoid loading them up with cognitive burdens and instead provide clear, comforting instructions.
• Information organization: Medical apps typically contain vast quantities of complex medical information. Information must be segmented into digestible chunks.

Addressing Diverse Users

Healthcare apps cater to a diverse audience, including patients, doctors, nurses, and caregivers. Each group of users has different expectations:

• Patients will appreciate simplicity and confidence.
• Doctors and nurses require speed, accuracy, and efficiency.
• Caregivers need easy access to patient data and communication features.

Meeting these demands requires careful design choices and modular interfaces that support user roles without overwhelming any individual.

Healthcare UX cannot ignore regulation and legal considerations. HIPAA compliance and other data protection legislation dictate how sensitive patient information is handled. Disregard can damage patients and a company's reputation.

HIPAA Compliance in UX

HIPAA compliance is not solely backend security—it dictates user interactions. Consider the following:

• Authentication and access controls: Log in securely, but make it easy enough not to infuriate patients.
• Data encryption: Data that is sensitive, whether in transit or at rest, must be encrypted, and the customer must be notified through the interface that their data is protected.
• Consent management: Customers must be informed about how their data is being used. UX elements, such as checkboxes, pop-ups, and consent forms, must be both inconspicuous and clear.

Privacy by Design

The UX of healthcare apps must adopt a "privacy by design" philosophy. Design flows to respect user privacy as a default:

• Don't retain patient data unnecessarily.
• Minimize data entry where possible.
• Clearly inform users why specific data is being requested.

When patients feel their data is safe, engagement is higher, and trust in the app is established.

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Accessibility isn't a nicety in healthcare UX—it's a requirement. Most users of healthcare apps will have disabilities, chronic diseases, or age-related impairments. Accessible design lets everyone benefit from digital healthcare services.

Principles for Accessible Medical App Design

Accessible medical app UX has visual and cognitive components:

• Legible typography: Large type sizes, sufficient contrast, and adjustable text size help users with visual impairments.
• Voice interfaces: Voice interfaces can assist users with mobility impairments or those who cannot type easily.
• Color-blind friendly design: Employ pairs of colors that are hard to distinguish.
• Simple navigation: Minimize the steps and provide buttons and menus with clear, explicit labels.

Designing for Elderly Users

One of the groups that requires special care is elderly patients. They may experience worsening vision, declining dexterity, or a lack of familiarity with computers. Some of the key strategies are:

• Efficient workflows: Reduce cognitive load by breaking tasks into clear, granular steps.
• Clear feedback: Confirm actions such as appointment bookings or prescription requests to avoid uncertainty.
• Known patterns: Use UI components that resemble physical objects or familiar digital patterns to enhance intuitiveness.

By prioritizing accessibility, medical apps are not only compliant but also accessible to those who need healthcare help most.

Here are some examples from the real world showing best practices in healthcare app UX.

Telemedicine UX: Teladoc Health

Teladoc Health offers online consultations with doctors from around the world. Their UX is all about being fast and simple:

• Quick onboarding with little data entry.
• Straightforward navigation to schedule appointments or start consultations.
• Clear signs of doctor availability and wait times.

The union of functional design and compassionate interaction renders telemedicine UX easy and stress-free.

Patient Portal: MyChart

MyChart is a widely used patient portal in hospitals across the U.S. Some of its key features are:

• Secure HIPAA-compliant login with two-factor authentication.
• Integrated access to lab results, medications, and appointment scheduling.
• Patient reminders and notifications.

MyChart UX prioritizes patient empowerment while maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive information.

Health Tracking Apps: Apple Health

Apple Health demonstrates the capabilities of an accessible healthcare app:

• Rich visual dashboards to track activity, vitals, and sleep.
• Integration with third-party health devices to track all data.
• Customizable notifications to reinforce positive health behaviors.

By combining accessibility, beauty, and functionality, Apple Health caters to a broad range of users while protecting their data.

Healthcare app UX is a complex, multidisciplinary challenge that goes beyond looks. It entails understanding the specific needs of patients and providers, compliance with regulations, prioritizing accessibility, and designing from an empathetic perspective.

From telemedicine and health monitoring apps to patient portals that meet HIPAA standards, successful medical app design strikes a balance between functional success, emotional intelligence, and usability. By side-stepping common UX pitfalls, prioritizing older adult users, and testing in real-world contexts, healthcare professionals can create digital experiences that not only function but actually enhance patient health.

With the rapidly evolving and dynamic healthtech landscape, healthcare app design investment is more than a design requirement—it's an investment in enhanced care, heightened engagement, and a healthier future for all.

1. 5 top healthcare marketing trends for 2024 from https://www.callrail.com/blog/healthcare-marketing-trends
2. EU citizens: over half seek health information online from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-eurostat-news/-/edn-20220406-1