A well-designed website makes a positive first impression on its visitors, instantly capturing their attention and conveying a sense of credibility. For healthcare organizations, this is especially important as user experience dictates the website’s usability and accessibility for visitors with pressing healthcare concerns. Patients visiting your website in search of health information from a credible source should be able to find what they’re looking for easily.
Research indicates that the future of the healthcare system is patient-centered, with a focus on digital solutions for a new care delivery model. If your organization is ready to adapt to this approach, incorporate the following user experience considerations into your website.
Enhanced website accessibility
Every website should foster inclusivity to ensure anyone can access its content. In fact, approximately 6 million Americans have vision impairments and 30 million have hearing loss, meaning there’s a significant audience in need of accessible design for digital health solutions.
Website accessibility ensures equal access to all users. A few ways to make your website more accessible include:
- Comply with WCAG standards: The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) outline international standards for making web content perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. For example, the visual presentation of text and images of text should have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1.
- Create a clear navigation: Enabling all users to easily navigate your website helps patients find the information they need quickly and efficiently. For example, simplifying medical record access through a secure, easily navigable patient portal allows patients to receive clear and personalized care management updates.
- Optimize for mobile devices: Optimizing your website for mobile accessibility allows users to access your website from multiple devices. This may include optimizing image sizes for a faster loading speed or using responsive design techniques to ensure the website content formats properly on different screen sizes.
Enhanced web accessibility doesn’t only improve the user experience — it boosts the ranking performance of your website and increases its visibility on search engines. Ultimately, this will broaden your website’s audience, reaching both potential patients and those who would have otherwise been excluded from being able to access your content.
Secure patient portal
In keeping your website patient-centric, your content must address patient’s needs and concerns. After all, the medical information and records hosted on your website directly pertain to your patients — they should have access to their own information.
Ensure that patients can securely access their information on your website through an easily navigable patient portal. This involves:
- Enforcing authentication
- Offering opt-in options
- Providing user-friendly data
Patients should not only be able to access data on your website, they should feel confident when providing information, as well. According to Arcadia, EHR integration accelerates the onboarding process by allowing patients to upload their personal information through a platform that automatically updates your records.
Intuitive interactive features
Patients will interact with your organization’s website in various ways, meaning you should provide relevant opportunities that serve their interests. For example, if someone visits your website looking to submit a contact form such as an appointment scheduling form, they’ll be more likely to complete and submit it when the form is optimized and concise.
Note main user pathways to understand why users visit your website, then incorporate intuitive features that allow patients to interact with your site in the ways that matter. For example, users may visit your website to:
- Book an appointment
- Research their symptoms
- Live chat with a healthcare provider
- Submit a survey
Make these interactions straightforward to help users find what they’re looking for. Prominent calls-to-action (CTAs) and a descriptive navigation menu can be especially helpful in guiding users through your website. This way, they can book an appointment, contact a medical professional, or complete any other action in just a few simple clicks.
Engaging multimedia elements
Medical information may become data-heavy, but your website must convey this information in an easily understandable format. The right multimedia elements can engage website visitors while still communicating difficult information, such as:
- Infographics: Visually appealing graphics can present healthcare data and statistics in an easily digestible format. For example, use analytics reports to visualize patient outcomes and break down a patient’s recent health updates in accessible dashboards.
- Explainer videos: Provide informative videos that break down complex medical concepts, explain specific conditions, and cover other healthcare topics. These insights can help educate website visitors and guide their next actions, such as making an appointment or taking relevant preventative measures.
- Testimonials and success stories: Showcase patient testimonials and case studies to highlight your organization’s positive impact. Double the Donation’s list of data storytelling benefits notes that this is a surefire way to build trust, contextualize experiences, and visualize outcomes for website visitors.
These elements can provide valuable information and equip website visitors with an improved understanding of important medical topics. Ultimately, your website’s ability to educate and inform visitors is just another step you can take to prevent medical conditions before they happen.
Optimize for SEO
When building your healthcare website, providing valuable information is likely your main focus. After all, you aim to reach patients, clients, or constituents with the information they need for better care.
Beyond existing patients, this valuable information could impact broad audiences, including those who stumble upon your website before hearing about your organization. Increase your website’s visibility in search engine results by including:
- Quality content
- Relevant keywords
- Optimized images
These elements, along with other search engine optimization (SEO) factors, can increase the likelihood that search engines will prioritize your website on their results pages. This way, internet users can find your content simply by researching a topic, which increases the reach of your content.
In addition to offering credible information, a positive user experience on your organization’s website showcases your loyalty to your patients. Your dedication to improving their experience represents your commitment to their overall well-being. Your website will quickly become a valuable resource for learning and healing as patients use your resources to take informed action.
For more guidance when creating a positive user experience, consider partnering with a web design company. These professionals have the expert advice and skill sets needed to craft an effective and engaging website.