Healthcare experiences are distinct because they combine deeply personal and sensitive relationships with commercial transactions. Unlike services like barber appointments or Uber rides, which people judge mainly on immediate service quality, healthcare requires a more intricate balance of personal care and a uniquely personalized experience. This complexity reflects the deeper, more individualized nature of healthcare interactions.
Patients often assess their quality of care based on their relationship with their doctor and the ease of obtaining that care – not to mention the results achieved. The digital tools available to a patient play an increasingly important role not only in improving access to care, but in fostering the patient-physician relationship. As such, the digital tools available can influence whether patients stay with their current provider or look for a replacement. Notably, a recent study showed that 65% of patients would consider switching providers over a poor digital experience.
Investing in “patient-first design” bridges gaps in patients’ care journeys and experiences, ultimately increasing retention and loyalty. To address the mounting challenges to meet consumers’ expectations, healthcare systems must prioritize patient-first product design in their digital platforms. Simply providing a functional digital experience is not enough. Effective patient-first design requires a deep understanding of patient behavior and needs.
What Exactly Is “Patient-First” Design to a Designer?
We asked members of our UX/UI Research & Design team to share their thoughts on what defines patient-first design, offering a deeper look into the concept.
Ben Oderwald, Modea’s Director of UX/UI Design, says,
“Digital product design is a really special discipline, because it’s done in order to help someone do something: accomplish a goal, do a job, or solve a problem. Designing in a “patient-first” way for health care is even more special. It’s one thing to make a website or app to sell shoes, but it’s a totally different thing to make something that helps people when they’re sick and need care. It’s really important that we do a good job!”
When asked what patient-first design means to you, one of our UX/UI Designers, Sam Woolson, says,
“Imagine a trip from point A to point B. Simple, right? But then there’s road construction you were unaware of. Design is the GPS telling you to take the exit prior so you won’t get stuck. It’s the same with patient-first design, which aims to clear all the roadblocks that cause frustration, enabling patients to achieve what they’ve set out to do during their user journey without getting stuck or lost in the process.”
Kristi Michelson, another UX/UI Designer at Modea, describes patient-first design as:
“When navigating the complexities of finding a new doctor, learning about a difficult diagnosis, or simply mapping out your next appointment, patient-first design is our top priority. We understand the challenges patients face and aim to make their online experience as seamless as possible. By prioritizing empathy and understanding, we ensure our digital platforms are efficient, supportive, and user-friendly. Our goal is to provide clear information, easy navigation, secure communication, and accessible features, helping patients find exactly what they need with minimal stress.”
Katie Cox, UX/UI Designer III, views patient-first design through a more robust perspective, saying,
“To be patient-first in design involves a few steps. First, we need to understand the wants, needs, and goals of patients. We do that by zooming out to inspect the larger contexts that patients are navigating and identifying where they run into barriers and need support. This means looking at the entire care journey—across physical and digital experiences—that patients go through.
Then, when we know their struggles, needs, and goals, we use all that stuff to inform our design decisions. Where there were pitfalls in a user flow or dead ends on a page, we pave new paths and make better connections. Where there were bloated or over-fluffed areas of content, we thoughtfully simplify and prioritize tools and information that would be most useful and empowering to patients.
Next, we test the new experience to see if what we did had a positive impact on patients seeking and managing their care. There’s always room to improve the equity and accessibility of the patient experience. Sometimes, the ways we improve or change an experience can have unseen consequences. So part of the process is being open to continual learning and adjustments.
And I don’t want this to go unsaid- Patient-first doesn’t mean business-last or business-forgotten. Serving your customers well by seeking to understand and provide for their needs first often has a direct positive impact on business goals. When we’re patient-first, we bring business goals into balance with user needs and ensure those goals don’t accidentally get in the way of users doing their thing. Being patient-first is good for customers seeking care and builds their trust in and loyalty to your brand.”
How Design Can Help Meet the Needs of Patients
To address the mounting challenges to meet consumers’ expectations, healthcare systems must prioritize patient-first product design in their digital platforms. Simply providing a functional digital experience is not enough. Effective patient-first design requires a deep understanding of patient behavior and needs. Patients have a wide range of diverse needs, so we consulted our design team on how to implement a patient-first approach that effectively addresses the varying appearances and behaviors of different individuals.
Austin Greene, another UX/UI Designer at Modea says, “Patient-first design means providing patients with digital experiences and information that delivers on this promise: patients are provided quality care to who they are right now and above all else. We act to serve them where they are – we don’t put them in a position to adapt to the service they need.”
Keeping people at the center of what we do is key. We talk to them, conduct surveys, observe how they use and interact with our designs, and ask questions about their feelings, what is easy, and what is hard. And then we use our own experiences too. Health care is one thing everyone needs, so we’re designing for each other as well.
We have input from hundreds of people, and thousands of survey responses. At every step of our design process we ask ourselves: who is going to be using this and what do they need to do?
One way to see how this approach affects our products is to look at a hospital website. Pretty much all hospital websites have a big list of all conditions, and treatments they offer. Often, it’s easiest to use the list of hospital departments. They know their offerings and can consult doctors if they have questions about what to include.
But if you talk to people who use hospital websites, you quickly find out that most people don’t understand the sorts of medical terms that doctors use. It isn’t because anyone is ignorant, or wrong, it’s just that professions create a specific way of precisely referring to things that the general public doesn’t share. Most people have trouble even pronouncing “Otolaryngologist,” but if you use everyday language and talk about an “Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor” they know immediately what you’re talking about.
We put a lot of effort into describing things in language that patients understand. And then we test what we’ve done with actual people, to see if we hit the mark. The result is a site that’s easier to navigate, and content that’s easier to understand, which, in turn, makes people more likely to make an appointment. That helps people, and makes our clients happy.
User research also helps to remove assumptions and biases that often cloud decision-making. By focusing on real patient insights, we can design digital experiences that align with actual patient expectations. This approach ensures that digital tools are not just theoretically suited to patients but are genuinely tailored to their needs. When digital product design teams understand this, they can create platforms that enhance the patient journey.
Enhancing Convenience and Usability
Convenience is an important element of a positive digital experience. If a digital tool is overly complex or if the information is too dense, it fails to deliver its full value. Effective design simplifies complex tasks and anticipates patient needs, making the user experience straightforward and engaging. Features like open scheduling and comprehensive provider directories empower patients to manage their care more effectively. They also help reduce the frustration associated with traditional appointment scheduling.
Another example of this is header hierarchy. The organization of headings affects a page’s overall scannability and readability by structuring the information. If headers are too similar in appearance or don’t align with user expectations, it forces users to think harder. This impacts their navigation and comprehension. For patients, this can hinder their understanding of the information presented. Stakeholders may lack opinions on this not due to disinterest, but because they lack the expertise to determine what works best for users.
The expectation for self-directed choice and customization has increased in the digital age. Patients are accustomed to platforms that offer personalized options and easy access to information. Healthcare platforms should meet these expectations by offering clear, engaging, and concise information about providers. This includes details such as ratings, reviews, areas of expertise, and profile pictures. Presenting this information in an accessible format helps patients make informed decisions. It also boosts their confidence in their choices.
Transparency Can Enhance Patient Trust
Stakeholders often hesitate to display information about a doctor’s performance, aiming to protect their image or avoid discomfort. Star ratings and patient reviews on the public-facing website, for example, can become a point of political discourse within the organization. As a result, they sometimes go undisplayed. While the intention is to be considerate towards doctors, a lack of transparency contradicts the patient-first approach.
Our user testing consistently highlights that star ratings and reviews are crucial for patients evaluating a doctor’s value. Our findings indicate positive outcomes when:
- Doctor cards and profiles display performance markers to help patients decide whom to consider further.
- Reviews are listed on profiles and paired with ratings.
- Information about how ratings and reviews are gathered is accessible.
- Information about why a doctor doesn’t have a rating is provided.
Being transparent with this information aligns with a patient-first approach and helps patients make informed decisions.
Personalization To Tailor To Patient Needs
In addition to addressing usability and convenience, personalization is a critical component of patient-first design. Patients expect digital healthcare tools to be as personalized and adaptive as those in e-commerce or social media. Here’s why personalization matters and how you can effectively integrate it into healthcare digital platforms.
Personalization in healthcare digital tools can greatly improve the patient experience. It achieves this by making interactions more relevant and tailored to individual needs. Personalized experiences can improve patient engagement, satisfaction, and adherence to care plans. When patients feel that their digital interactions are tailored to their personal preferences and health needs, they are more likely to trust and use the platform effectively.
Implementing Personalization Strategies
- Customized health dashboards: Create personalized dashboards that offer patients relevant health information and details about upcoming appointments. These dashboards should also provide actionable health insights based on their specific conditions and treatment plans. Our digital product design work with Luminis Health has tailored health dashboards for patients. This has led to a significant increase in both engagement and appointment scheduling within the health system.
- Dynamic content recommendations: Provide personalized articles, videos, and educational materials based on the patient’s health conditions, treatment history, and interests. This helps patients stay informed and engaged in their care. Vanderbilt Health’s new condition search functionality offers personalized recommendations by suggesting relevant content when a user searches for a specific condition. It provides information on nearby locations where the condition is treated and surfaces related articles. This ensures users receive comprehensive and relevant resources tailored to their search.
- Personalized provider matching: Use patient preferences and health needs to recommend healthcare providers who best match their requirements. This can include factors like specialty, location, and provider ratings. Our product design of Ballad Health’s Find-A-Doctor feature helps users find relevant providers to their needs and location.
- Adaptive user interfaces: Design interfaces that adapt to user preferences and behaviors. An example of an adaptive interface is our website design for Nemours Children’s Health. In this design, the user’s IP address is used to automatically assign them to a specific region of care within the Nemours system. This regional assignment displays content tailored to the user’s location, creating a personalized and relevant online experience.
Integrating these personalization strategies allows healthcare platforms to deliver tailored interactions and content that address individual patient needs. This approach leads to higher engagement, increased satisfaction, and better overall health outcomes.
While these considerations are key for designing digital tools that meet patient needs, the healthcare industry also presents unique challenges that must be addressed.
Embracing the Future of Patient-First Design
As we navigate the complexities of patient-first design, it’s crucial to shape a future where healthcare digital experiences are seamlessly integrated into every aspect of patient care. This approach ensures that every touchpoint supports and enhances patient interactions. Embracing patient-first design principles allows healthcare systems to stay ahead of evolving expectations and technological advancements.
Investing in patient-focused tools and design enables healthcare organizations to create digital platforms that meet current patient needs. These platforms better adapt to future demands. This forward-thinking approach ensures that systems remain flexible, innovative, and aligned with the growing expectations of digital healthcare users.
Patient-first design is not only about resolving existing issues; it’s about setting a strategic direction for future success. Building a culture of continuous improvement involves using user insights to drive design evolution. This approach consistently refines digital tools to enhance patient engagement and satisfaction. By proactively addressing these challenges, healthcare providers can future-proof their digital offerings and position themselves as leaders in patient-centered care.
