My previous post explores how requesting a medical appointment online begins a patient's digital journey. A hospital's appointment request form might be a new patient's first interaction with a healthcare institution. As such, it is one of the most public-facing forms for a healthcare institution, establishing the baseline for the quality of other external and even internal facing forms. The user experience of the appointment request form sets the tone for the entire patient experience.

Experience

A patient's successful user experience when finding, filling out, and submitting an appointment request form is determined by the visual, information, and interactive design of the website and form itself.

Visual design matters

Visual design identifies a healthcare institution’s brand and aesthetic. The quality of care at a healthcare institution is reflected on their website. The website's visual design should be clean, efficient, and caring. Since an appointment request form results in a call back from a live person, including a photograph of a nurse or clinician on the form or landing page can visually reinforce this expectation and experience.

Information design matters

Information design ensures that the patient understands how to navigate the form and makes it clear what information is required and what information is optional. Appointment request forms act as an ambassador of sorts, beginning an interaction between a patient and healthcare clinicians. The form's information design and corresponding editorial sets the tone of a patient's interaction with a healthcare institution.

Interactive design matters

Interactive design improves the flow and process for filling out a...Read More