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What is Healthcare UX and Why Is It So Important?

Great healthcare UX equals great health for all

I’ve been working in Digital Health and Healthcare UX since September 2014 focusing on the design of healthcare technology and services. In the beginning, I didn’t even know I was doing Healthcare UX, as it was an entirely new concept to me. Since then, I have observed the small but increasing specialism of some UX Designers in Healthcare UX. In fact, three of my modules during my Masters degree in Human Computer Interaction involved healthcare. We now have UX conferences dedicated to Healthcare UX. But what is Healthcare UX and why is it so important?

Healthcare UX is a broad and diverse discipline in UX, yet a niche and unique one too. Therefore it is best defined by first defining UX. This is particularly important as most people don’t seem to really know what UX is.

“UX is about the experiences people have with the designed world.”

UX, short for user experience of course, is about the experiences people have with the designed world. There are terms such as user-centred design and design thinking that need to be understood too. For now, let’s keep our focus on “experiences people have with the designed world”. You cannot determine the specific experiences someone has with the world around them. That is down to them and is influenced by their past experience and knowledge. But we can influence the experience through something designed as we can control what we design and make. For example, sunglasses can be used to change the experience you have when out in the sunshine. The design of those glasses may reduce glare. A bigger pair can reduce more glare. But they may be too big to fit your face. By designing them differently, one should have a different experience.

Sunglasses are great when it’s sunny outside. But bigger doesn’t always mean better

Designed solutions in healthcare include Electronic Hospital Records, fitness apps, and ambulances. But also ultrasound scanners, wheelchairs and the paper clinical staff use to write notes on. Users can be virtually anyone; clinically trained professionals, non-clinical professionals…