What is User Interface Design?
User interface (UI) design is the process of designing an interface that allows a user to interact with a software product or digital services, such as telehealth software and telemedicine apps. UI design includes elements like layouts, button placements, and menu organization. Having an intuitive and visually appealing UI design is crucial to building a successful telehealth platform.
What makes user interface design important? UI design is intended to improve the user experience by making sure the platform is intuitive and easy to navigate. Having an effective UI design is essential for any software solution, with the purpose of making the solution accessible, easy to use, and engaging.
The Significance of User Interface Design in the Telehealth Industry
Having a good UI design is essential in the telehealth industry because both patients and providers use it. Software development teams must design a UI that is comprehensive for patients with limited knowledge or experience with the software and providers with expert knowledge and daily use. This is likely the biggest hurdle teams will encounter when it comes to UI design.
Telehealth services include a wide range of UI design elements. Healthcare organizations can use wearable devices to monitor a patient’s vital signs, utilize video conferencing to provide consults, and link various devices to display data in a telehealth app. These tools allow patients to receive care in a way that is convenient for them while also enabling the providers with data for informed decision-making.
For patients using the telehealth software solution, having an intuitive UI will make it easy to navigate and use. With a patient-centric design, patients will experience less frustration while using the application, which will lead to an increase in patient satisfaction. A successful UI design will build a patient’s confidence in the platform, making it easier for them to seek care as more providers adopt telehealth technology.
Having healthcare providers perform an active role in the UI design process can go a long way in the usability of the telehealth platform. When the users are involved early on in the development process, the software’s UI design is more likely to be successful. Knowing the pain points in current processes can help development teams create streamlined workflows to make daily processes simpler.
Challenges in UI/UX Development for Telehealth Platforms
Regardless of recent technological advances, creating an effective UI design for a telehealth platform can be a complicated process. Here are just some of the challenges teams may encounter during the UI design process for telehealth solutions.
Diversity
The users of healthcare apps include a wide variety of users, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and patients. Within these users, there is a diverse background when it comes to age, experience, and care requirements. Building a platform that caters to all possible users without isolating demographics is a challenge development teams should be prepared for.
Empathy Mapping
An essential component of healthcare UI design is understanding any limitations a user might experience while using the platform. With a wide patient and provider pool, consider any physical limitations, such as sensory issues, poor eyesight, color blindness, and hearing loss. Building a healthcare application with all conditions in mind will ensure your platform is accessible and easy to navigate.
Usage
Considering the usage of the telehealth app is essential, as this indicates where the traffic will be highest. Knowing where the app will be used most will allow you to create an effective interface design that’s easy to navigate. For example, it’s important to consider if aspects of the software will be primarily used in ambulances or emergency rooms since those should have the most streamlined workflows to allow for quick use.
Dynamic
The healthcare industry is a dynamic and ever-changing environment, a factor that must be taken into account when designing the user interface for a telehealth solution. This can include new patient pools, medical services, and trends in telehealth. Building a design that’s flexible enough to incorporate new telehealth services is essential to building a scalable product for long-term use.
Essential User Interface Design Principles for Telehealth Platforms
Creating a user interface and user experience design for telehealth platforms can be intimidating when considering the variety of users and services that must be accounted for. Here are seven essential UI design principles to consider when developing a telehealth platform.
Consistency and Standardization
Telemedicine systems are intended to lead patients through their healthcare services in a similar format to in-person visits. This includes scheduling appointments, checking in, and visiting with specialists or other healthcare providers.
Building a user interface design that makes it easy for the user to navigate through this process is essential to the patient experience. Making an intuitive design that is simple and proven to be successful will allow patients to receive the care they need without stress or confusion.
Clear System Status Visibility
Providing users with clear visibility of the system status ensures they are provided with timely feedback on actions taken in the telehealth app. Creating a user interface design that lets the user know their actions are processed is crucial for the user experience. These actions can include messaging confirming their password was reset, or their appointment request was submitted
Match Between System and World
When building a user-centered design, rather than using system-oriented language, the system should use language that’s easily comprehended by the user. Having layouts or displaying information in a way the user is familiar with will allow them to navigate the solution with ease. When developing a telehealth solution, be sure to keep the language patient-friendly by avoiding technical jargon as much as possible.
Minimalist Design Approach
Adopting a minimalist approach to telehealth UI design will ensure that users have access to the medical information they need without being overwhelmed. When users attempt to navigate a solution with multiple bright colors and a cluttered display, it can make them experience frustration and confusion. Having a simple design with neutral colors will make it easy to navigate and process, resulting in a positive user experience.
Reduced Cognitive Load
A user-centered design must take into account that the user has a limited amount of processing power. There is a limit to the amount of information and stimulus a user can digest before they get overwhelmed. To minimize any possible stress the user may experience using the telehealth app, avoid including any unnecessary information and design the UI based on existing mental models already familiar to the user.
Informative Feedback
A successful UI design will provide the user with informative feedback for every action that is taken. This can include a reaction as simple as a button changing colors when it’s clicked on or a field turning disabled after it’s filled out. By providing the user with feedback for every action taken, they can confidently navigate the telehealth solution while reducing cognitive load.
Flexibility and Efficiency
As mentioned previously, telehealth apps must be designed for both patients and medical professionals with drastically different knowledge and experience in the platform. One way to make the app design cater to healthcare providers without confusing patients is through accelerators.
Accelerators are designed for experienced users who spend a lot of time in the app, like healthcare professionals. By implementing shortcuts that allow the user to complete processes quickly, the user experience is less tedious and allows healthcare professionals to focus on providing patient care.
Partnering with Geneca
Having a good UI design is essential to developing a successful telehealth application. If your healthcare organization is ready to get started on its telehealth app, contact Geneca today! Our teams come with years of experience and expertise in designing and developing healthcare software.