The Progression of Healthcare UX/UI Design
Introduction:
COVID-19 saw a high demand in healthcare UX/UI. Individuals want to avoid social interactions as much as possible and instead turn to apps and programs as a substitute. This article discusses the expected thoroughfare of healthcare UX/UI.
Telemedicine:
Telemedicine is the process of delivering medical care through technology. At present, a tele-medical appointment would involve a doctor and their patient communicating via technology.
Healthcare UX/UI comes into play in ensuring a positive user experience for both parties. The patient is already distressed with their health, so it is important that the usability of the platform is simple and straight-forward. In the process of designing interfaces, UX designers must consider the user and medical practitioner’s age and technological skills.
Wearable technology:
Wearable technology such as smart watches have been increasing in popularity. Nowadays, wearable devices can measure extremities such as blood pressure and even irregular heartbeats, meaning that there is more competition for UX designers.
There is an immense potential for wearable technology to link users to healthcare providers. To ensure the survival of one’s product, UX designers must focus on data handling, simplicity and usability.
Volodymyr Hryshchenko
Chatbots in healthcare:
Put simply, a chatbot is a computer program that mimics human speech in order to converse with a real person. Chatbots in healthcare can help patients book an appointment and remind them to take medications as an example. In doing this, chatbots are able to reduce the amount of work of medical practitioners and administrative staff while retaining a patient-centred nature.
When designing a chatbot, UX designers must ensure that patients feel as they are talking to a human. The machine must convey emotion and must meet the needs of the patient. A poorly designed, emotionless machine can result in the user’s negative experience which will ultimately drive the user away from chatbots.
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) n Healthcare:
AR and VR are changing the face of modern, biological sciences. Practitioners can use this technology for training purposes, to plan upcoming operations and to even diagnose medical conditions.
With the evolution of such technology, designers will be needed to conduct beta tests on the product to ensure an optimal, user experience.
Electronic Health Records (EHRs):
EHRs have eliminated the need of keeping medical records on paper and reduced the reliance on administrative staff and patients. By digitising medical records, admin and paperwork have been reduced and patients can even access their medical records through online portals. It is these online portals that have been at the crux of the healthcare UX sector and it is absolutely crucial that these websites have easy navigation.
As more organisations utilise EHRs, designers will need to research ways of maintaining user-friendly and efficient platforms.
Conclusion - Heading into the future:
The discussed five healthcare UX/UI trends are going to sky-rocket in their demand and popularity. With COVID-19’s dominance, doctors and patients are turning to telemedicine to maximise their safety. The evolution of wearable technology will allow individuals to detect health problems before it is too late. AR and VR will transform medicine and health, enabling practitioners to cross paths they have never imagined. Finally, EHRs will maximise productivity, saving time and resources in the already pressured healthcare system. UX designers are at the crux of ensuring the success of this beaming sector.
