There’s no dancing around the subject. Most people don’t like going to see the doctor. They almost hate having to go to the hospital and usually don’t look forward to visiting a pharmacy either.

While the predominant reasons for this patient reluctance vary from country to country, there’s no denying that, more often than not, the number one reason is fear.

People tend to find the experience of seeking medical help a rather anxiety-inducing experience, and a big reason for this is that most modern medical facilities haven’t created a healthcare system centered around patient experience design.

But first, let’s take a look at what the patient experience is, before learning why centering the design of your health system around the concept is a good idea.

What is the Patient Experience?

The patient experience can be described as the sum of all experiences, from initial contact to continuing care, for any given patient navigating the healthcare system.

It includes each and every interaction, touchpoint and outcome for the patient—and is contributed to by every healthcare professional along that journey. The patient experience is also affected by the patient’s expectations, feelings and ultimate level of satisfaction.

What is Patient Experience Design?

Patient experience design (or designing for the patient experience) is a comprehensive process based on the principle of human experience combined with user experience.

Here’s a brief explanation of those two terms, to give you a better understanding of how they both relate to each other in the pursuit of patient experience design:

• User Experience
  User experience is most commonly used to describe any individual user’s experience with a digital product or service (how easy it is to use, understand and navigate). But with today’s ever-evolving digital world, healthcare is becoming more digital and healthcare providers must also think about design with the user experience in mind.
  
  When designing for the patient experience, It’s important to think about the user experience not only from a digital point of view but from an overarching interaction point of view
  
  
• Human Experience
  The human experience is rather easy to define and conceptualize, owing to the fact that we are all human and can relate quite easily to one another’s predicaments.
  
  As it relates to patient experience design, the human experience is every part of a healthcare provider’s approach that will have an effect on a patient’s mood, feeling, comfort and perception.

Designing for the Patient Experience

The focus for any care provider working in the health sector must be focused on patient centricity. This means designing every aspect of your interactions with patients around appealing to their comfort on a human and user level.

What does this mean? Well, here are a few design aspects to consider beyond treating a patient’s medical issue:

• Create a welcoming environment in your care practice facility
  Most medical care facilities are stark and sterile, offering little in the way of aesthetic comfort. Try designing your care space and waiting rooms with patients and families in mind.
  
  Cultivate warm, welcoming atmospheres that steer decidedly away from the usual sterile motifs. Use bright colors, emotion-inducing artwork and provide feel-good reading material for adults and toys for children.
  
  
• Cater to Your Patient’s Preferences
  This consideration can be as simple as remembering personal details about each patient upon each visit, to cataloging and putting in place every patient’s communication preferences for scheduling appointments and following up continued care.
  
  Perhaps one patient prefers being sent messages via text instead of calls? Or email reminders both a week and a day before an appointment instead of just once.

Embracing the Effects of Patient Experience Design

All of these little human-facing considerations can do a lot to make your patients feel like they’re both seen and cared for as the unique human individual they are. This can reduce their fear and hesitancy regarding your care facility and the entire notion of seeking medical help overall.

Here at Normative, we understand both the importance of patient-first design, and how to create medical products that put the patient experience at the forefront of any business model.
Talk to us today for a free consultation and see how we can help you engage with your customers in new and innovative ways.

Talk to us today for a free consultation and see how we can help you engage with your customers in new and innovative ways.