Healthcare facilities are increasingly creating websites to reach out to new potential patients, to help current patients, and to make it easier for past patients to get more information. When creating a healthcare website, though, there are a number of things to focus on to create the right design. Use the following information to make sure the website is designed with your healthcare facility and patients in mind.
Focus on What Patients Need
There should be a focus on what patients need, as the goal is to create a website for them. An effective healthcare website design will include anything that a patient might need, from more information about common services or procedures to access to their documents or a way to schedule an appointment. Keep in mind that patients will view the website to get more information about the healthcare facility and are often looking for an easy way to manage their medical care and appointments.
Make Sure It’s Mobile-Friendly
Websites today must be mobile-friendly. Patients may not access the website while they’re home. It’s likely they’ll think of needing to schedule an appointment while they’re out or when they can’t get to the computer. If the website is not mobile-friendly, they may get frustrated and give up trying to set the appointment, so they won’t get the healthcare they need. With a responsive web design, the site can be easily viewed on any device, and patients can get more out of the site.
Create an Easy Way to Schedule Appointments
Many patients prefer to schedule appointments online. There’s no need to talk to a robot before getting to a live person or waiting on hold until there’s time for someone to talk to them. Instead, when the website offers a way to schedule appointments, they can just click a few boxes and pick the date and time that’s best for them. Their appointment can be easily scheduled and they can get reminders about the appointment if needed or add it to their calendar immediately.
Create a Secure Area for Patients
Patients should be able to access their healthcare data online, but it must be in a secure area. Healthcare facilities must ensure they are following HIPAA and other regulations when offering a secure area for patients to view more information. Creating a secure area that any patient can use enables patients to view their information without having to worry that someone else will be able to see it.
Add Content to Provide Information
While working on the design for the website, be sure to include an area where patients can get more information about anything they might need to know. This might include information about services or procedures that are offered, information about the healthcare facility itself, common reasons to schedule an appointment with the facility, and more. Information can provide patients with everything they need to know to make an informed decision and can answer many questions they may have.
If you’re working on creating a website for a healthcare facility, make sure you include everything listed here in the design to make the site accessible for all patients. As the website is going to benefit the patients, keep them in mind while you’re working on the design to ensure it has everything they may need.