User Experience Design for Health and Wellness Programs

A mother receiving cancer treatment still packs lunches every morning. A nurse managing chronic pain continues her hospital shifts. A daughter undergoing physical therapy coordinates her father's medical appointments. These aren't just patients - they're caregivers whose own health journey intertwines with their responsibility to others. We often design healthcare experiences assuming patients can focus solely on their own healing. Yet for many, pausing their caregiver role isn't an option. They navigate treatment while maintaining their essential role in others' lives. This reality demands more thoughtful design. These individuals need scheduling flexibility that acknowledges their dual roles. They need clear information they can process while distracted. They need spaces that accommodate the children or parents they can't leave at home. Their support needs differ too. Traditional support groups might be inaccessible to those caring for others. Education materials designed for focused attention might miss their mark. Even simple things, like appointment scheduling, take on new complexity when balancing multiple care responsibilities. Understanding these intersecting journeys becomes crucial. How might we design care experiences that support not just the patient's healing, but their ability to maintain their caregiver role? How could we create spaces that accommodate both receiving and giving care? The opportunity lies in recognizing these dual roles and designing healthcare experiences that acknowledge this reality. Because sometimes the most supportive care is the kind that helps patients continue caring for others. The best solutions will come from truly understanding these overlapping journeys - seeing patients not just as individuals seeking care, but as essential threads in the fabric of others' lives.

The average patient is a myth. And when we design for a myth, we leave real people behind. We map out healthcare journeys that seem straightforward: 👉 Step 1: Visit your doctor 👉 Step 2: Change your diet 👉 Step 3: Get moving 🎯 Outcome: Managed diabetes From a system perspective, it looks like a staircase. But for many people—especially those facing structural or social barriers—the same journey feels like scaling a mountain range. With dragons. Behavioral science reminds us: what matters isn’t just the steps, but how they feel to the person taking them. And friction isn’t evenly distributed. Some patients face extra weight on every step: 🚧 Transportation gaps 🚧 Unpredictable work schedules 🚧 Low trust in the system 🚧 Limited support 🚧 Overwhelm and decision fatigue Here are a few examples we’ve seen in the field: 🧠 Scarcity mindset changes decision-making. Members juggling unpredictable work hours, caregiving, or housing insecurity aren’t just “busy”—they’re navigating survival. That affects memory, motivation, and how decisions get made. 💬 Reading level is a barrier, not a knowledge gap. Even well-intentioned outreach fails when it’s written for a policy team instead of a patient. Simplicity is a form of respect. 🎯 One-size nudges don’t fit all. A text reminder might work for one person—but another may need a pre-scheduled visit, a trusted phone call, or help from a community health worker. If we want equitable outcomes, we can’t just remind people harder. We have to design differently. ✅ Design for those facing the greatest barriers—not just the mythical “average” ✅ Simplify decisions and reduce friction at every step ✅ Build trust before we expect action Equity isn’t just about offering the same care to everyone. It’s about designing care that works for everyone. 👋 If you want to design health journeys that work for everyone, not just the "average", let's talk.

Marvin Behavioral Health's enrollment doubled after changing three things that had nothing to do with their actual therapy service. THE CONTEXT: 48% of physicians report burnout, yet 72% are satisfied with their jobs—they don't want to leave medicine, they want support that actually understands their world. THE CHALLENGE: Too many were dropping off at signup for the service before ever starting therapy, despite needing help. When Irrational Labs looked at Marvin's landing page through a behavioral science lens, three barriers jumped out: 🧠 Mental model confusion: Is this AI or human therapy? The value prop wasn't clear. ⏰ Present bias: "Therapy sounds good, but how does it help me right now?" 🤐 Identity & stigma: Clinicians are caregivers first—seeking care feels uncomfortable. Our redesign tackled each barrier: 1️⃣ Humanize the experience: Photos and therapist bios showed real healthcare experts, not generic counselors 2️⃣ Build trust through expertise: Highlighted Marvin's 24/7 crisis hotline (free even for non-members) and therapists' deep healthcare experience 3️⃣ Layer social proof: Featuring both prestigious hospital partners and local clinical champions made therapy feel normal, not exceptional THE RESULT? Conversion doubled from 10% to 21%. Key takeaways for product leaders: - Emphasize emotional benefits: Lead with human connection, not platform features - Show your work: Display expertise and institutional sacrifice prominently; skip the jargon - Stack social proof: Layer general credibility (prestigious partners) with specific relevance (local champions) Too often, the biggest conversion killer is the mental model users have of a product or service before they even try it, not the product itself. How are you aligning your product's mental model to the value you offer users? Let us know in the comments 👇 #BehavioralScience #HealthTech #ProductDesign

Boomers can’t navigate patient portals. Gen Z won’t tolerate outdated tech. Healthcare leaders: When was the last time you experienced your patient portal through the eyes of a confused 70-year-old or an impatient 20-year-old? The digital divide isn’t a patient problem – it’s a UX design problem. Here’s why: 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀: • Less than 30% actually use portal features, despite 90% of providers offering them.[1,2] • Clunky interfaces, tiny fonts, confusing menus that no glasses can translate. • Digital confusion and trust issues prevent seniors from accessing critical care. 𝗚𝗲𝗻 𝗭: • Zero tolerance for slow, outdated UX. • Quick to abandon clumsy apps and portals. • Expect seamless experiences like Instagram or Netflix. Anything less pushes them away. The good news? We can bridge the gap for both groups. Here’s how: ✅ 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀: Mobile-first designs, minimal clutter, clear language, intuitive navigation. ✅ 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻: Multi-modal UX + AI (voice, video, chat) that meets users where they are – whether 25 or 75 years old. ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: Involve Boomers, Gen Z, and everyone in between to co-design solutions that actually work. ✅ 𝗔𝗜 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: Use AI to personalize and simplify tasks, not complicate them. Make it a UX ally, not a gimmick. The bottom line? Great UX bridges generational divides. Bad UX creates them. – What’s your best (or worst!) example of generational UX in healthcare? Let’s design digital healthcare that works for everyone – not just some imaginary “average” user. - Sources: (1) Pymnts https://lnkd.in/gUuQKkZj (2) Medsphere https://lnkd.in/gBWvRGFm