Technology solutions for the healthcare industry evolve on a daily basis. The crucial role of technology in healthcare has been growing recently with pandemic events of the COVID-19 outbreak. Remote monitoring, smart devices, AI for medical imaging, and usage of robotics technology are now helping save lives on daily basis. But with each innovation comes a new challenge to ensure patients’ needs are being met.
Wearable technologies and virtual reality (VR) devices can significantly improve the success of treatments but require talented UX designers to bridge the gap between technology and patients with the help of UX design services.
We are the voice of the customer. We are the voice of the patient and of the staff. The role of design is to visualize, and to communicate. We have the chance to envision the future.
UX developers can help to solve complex problems in the health system by focusing on user-centric design. Take a look at the top five UX trends that will shape the future of healthcare.
Wearable tech in healthcare
Source: Business Insider
Though wearable technologies are most commonly associated with fitness trackers and contactless payments, a focus on healthcare is an emerging trend. Wearables are no longer just about counting steps and purchasing goods. Now, wearable devices can measure and monitor vital signs such as heart rate and blood pressure. They can even detect atrial fibrillation, measure your body mass index, and use biosensor technology to detect if you’re about to get sick.
With over 80% of consumers willing to wear fitness technology, the wearable tech market is full of opportunities to connect with healthcare providers. But with competition in this market steadily increasing, it’s essential to provide a user experience that surpasses competitors’.
Anyone can create a health tracking app that can be used on mobile phones and wearable devices. But how successful can it be without a thoughtful healthcare UX design? implementing healthcare UX design? To stand out from your competitors, focus on:
- Simplicity
- Usability
- Connectivity
- Data handling
- Interactions
By concentrating on these aspects of your application, you’ll ensure it has an attractive design, is easy to use, connects with other devices, displays data clearly, and can be used during any activity.
Healthcare chatbots
Chatbots are steadily rising in popularity in the healthcare industry. With intuitive programming and well-written responses, they can connect patients with your support system without requiring them to speak to a person.
However, due to the sensitive nature of patient health and medical records, some healthcare chatbots fall short of offering a user experience that’s both safe and user-friendly. At the moment, healthcare chatbots are used to:
- book appointments
- remind users to take medications
- check up on users’ health conditions
- collect feedback about in-person consultations
But eventually, chatbots will be used for so much more. With the right systems and a user-centric approach, healthcare chatbots will be able to diagnose conditions, manage chronic illnesses, and offer personalized responses according to patient data and histories.
Healthcare service design companies now aim to offer an all-encompassing user experience to guarantee the future success of healthcare chatbots and benefits of chatbots for business. Implementing simple functionality with high degrees of accuracy ensures users will experience improved access to medical advice along with a high quality of care.
AR and VR in healthcare
Trend attribute key
Adoption in healthcare
Source: eMarketer
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications are transforming the way healthcare professionals do business. From teaching complex procedures in medical school to diagnosing medical conditions with more in-depth analysis of body scans, AR and VR in healthcare is continuing to advance the industry in ways that weren’t thought possible just a short time ago.
AR and VR are already being used to:
- display detailed body scans
- distract patients from painful procedures
- increase the accuracy of diagnoses
- explain medical treatments to patients
- show how a patient’s body will react to treatments
- teach complex procedures to medical students
To improve the user experience, designers are working on developing AR and VR controller systems that make displays more responsive to human interaction. Most current controllers are basic, but when it comes to distracting patients from invasive and unpleasant procedures, calming and believable immersion experiences can make all the difference.
Inclusive design
As societies throughout the world embrace inclusivity, so does UX design. Instead of focusing on one particular group to design an app for, taking a more inclusive approach ensures your software can reach a lot more people. This is especially important when it comes to designing a user experience in healthcare.
Not too long ago, accessibility features were added at the end of the design process as an afterthought. Nowadays, inclusive design is at the forefront of any new project, especially when it comes to design for healthcare apps. To ensure your healthcare app is accessible to the largest possible audience, take into account all these characteristics of your users:
- Abilities
- Cultures
- Genders
- Ages
- Mental states
- Languages
Bear in mind that a significant proportion of healthcare app users will have some form of disability, whether temporary or permanent. Not to mention that anyone can suffer from short attention spans, irritability, and trouble concentrating.
By ensuring your designs are suitable for all users and include a clear, concise, and easy-to-use interface, you’ll improve the overall user experience in healthcare applications.
Telehealth
Telemedicine
Telehealth is quickly becoming one of the most useful advances in medical technology. Instead of having to visit a doctor’s office for a consultation, patients can now be treated for medical conditions remotely with healthcare apps, remote monitoring tools, and video consultations.
With the rise of flu-like viruses, such as the coronavirus that’s now sweeping the globe, the advantages of telehealth apps become even more evident. Telehealth not only improves the care experience for patients but decreases the risk of spreading contagious diseases.
While the use of telehealth is rising rapidly, its successful adoption by both patients and physicians relies on the expertise of experienced designers — who not only create intuitive technology experiences that enable trust and relationship building, but also consider the broader, more complex healthcare-service context of which telehealth is a part.
Streamlining services that allow wearable devices to share data or allow doctors to issue electronic prescriptions after remote consultations requires a UX designer to integrate services in a simple way. This is one of the biggest UX trends shaping the future of healthcare.
Future of UX in healthcare
Digital healthcare trends increasingly depend on UX design to bridge the gap between technology and users. Implementing these top five trends in your own preventative healthcare solutions and healthcare applications will not only ensure the success of your project but will help shape the future of healthcare in 2021 and beyond.
If you need a team of UX designers to bridge the gap between users and your healthcare technology, contact Intellias.