The Future of HealthTech Design

HealthTech has demonstrated an incredible potential for providing users with life-saving experiences in the wake of the pandemic. As the demand for better solutions has grown, so has the need to design HealthTech products. Moreover, these products need to be functional and aesthetically pleasing. Gaining an edge in this competitive industry requires a team of designers who understand healthtech design by decoding user needs and aligning their work with market trends. 

Where a usual app might be used for entertainment or productivity, HealthTech apps can seriously affect someone’s well-being. The top priority should always be usability because the consequences of bad design are far more severe in this type of application. Human-centered behavior patterns and emerging trends in digital health indicate that user experience is becoming an increasingly important factor. Designers who succeed in this field will need to be familiar with the latest design approaches and methodologies.

Popular UI UX centric HealthTech Solutions

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)

RPM allows doctors and care providers to monitor the health of patients remotely. These versatile data monitors enable users to measure their heart rate, blood pressure, activity level, and more. This provides better access to healthcare, improved support, and feedback.

One of RPM’s most popular UI UX methods is leveraging gamification techniques to engage patients in tracking their health conditions. Users are encouraged to collect points and achievements in return for rewards, such as redeeming discounts or donating them to charities. Gamification turns the tedious task of tracking into a pleasant experience where users are motivated to achieve goals.

Electronic Medical Records (EMR)

Electronic medical records (EMR) are digital versions of the paper charts that doctors use to get information about their patients. They allow healthcare practitioners to improve different processes, including patient care, billing, and documentation. UI/UX for Healthtech design is paramount in EMR solutions as they help provide easy access to a patient’s medical history, transforming existing systems into powerful tools for improving the quality of care.

Medication Monitoring Applications

Medication monitoring apps are used to monitor the effects and side effects of a medication on a user’s body. It can also offer reminders about when to take medication and information about dosage. Since different people have different reactions to certain drugs, this type of app provides an opportunity for doctors and patients to keep better track of symptoms, symptoms changes, potential drug interactions, and other health-related information. Naturally, Healthtech design holds importance here so that users can perceive critical information as it is and in the least amount of time.

Virtual Consultation Platforms

Virtual consultation platforms allow users to access health professionals online using video chat. These services are helpful for people who are unable to get to the doctor’s office, have difficulty traveling, or are unable to find a specialist in their area. They also save patients and doctors time and money. Again, UI/UX in Healthtech design is important here as it impacts the overall patient experience and satisfaction.

Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness Applications

Healthy lifestyle and wellness applications offer users guides, coaching, or games to help them achieve their health goals. Although this app style app provides personalized feedback, it can eventually lead to longer-term results than other types of treatments.

Mental health care apps offer short-term self-help strategies and longer-term solutions for diagnosed mental health problems. Such apps provide access to self-help activities and medical professionals who can help users manage their anxieties, depression, or other mental illnesses. This makes it critical for developers to focus on Healthtech design as it plays a vital role in the critical evaluation of the app’s functionalities.

Health Management Information System (HMIS)

Health management information systems are the backbone of managed care organizations. They provide a framework for collecting, managing, and accessing data about patients who are part of an insured group. These systems allow doctors to monitor their patients’ health conditions accurately, provide cost-effective management, improved operational effectiveness, and increased data security and retrievability. UI/UX is crucial here as it significantly impacts how effectively the system assists doctors and streamlines operations.

VR and AR Applications in HealthTech

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented reality (AR) are rapidly being implemented into many industries and continue to expand further, including healthcare. For example, over the past few years, we have witnessed a rise in VR and AR applications in hospitals and medical schools to train doctors and nurses on procedures, resulting in a boost in patient care while reducing the cost of medical training.

Since UI/UX is all about virtual experiences, it takes the centrestage in AR/VR. Interaction designers need to keep in mind that VR/AR is an entirely new medium. Therefore, prior UX research may not be fully applicable. Instead, they must focus on research specific to the medium.

Health Wearables

Health wearables are most often the tool for fitness and weight loss. The number of wearable devices has skyrocketed in recent years and continues to rise. These tiny gadgets can help track your steps, calorie burn, heart rate, and sleep quality. The growth and improvement of these devices in the industry bodes well for a future where they can connect to other devices to detect illnesses.

Healthcare IoT Optimization

The Internet of Things (IoT) already connects many devices in healthcare, especially when it comes to monitoring critical health statistics. With the advent of 5G, these connections will become much smoother and faster. This will lead to advancements in remote patient diagnoses that specialists can do anywhere in the world. In addition, due to the constant connectivity IoT devices have, they offer more opportunities for researchers to collect data about patient conditions that can be used to improve medicines and healthcare.

What to Expect in the Future of HealthTech UI UX

Telemedicine and Telehealth

As more patients receive medical care from home, telemedicine and telehealth will become increasingly popular choices. Web-based applications will allow patients to communicate with their doctors via video chat or any other type of real-time communication. And data shows that this works. For example, 91%  of health outcomes were as good or better via telehealth.

Digital Therapeutics (DTx)

Digital therapeutics, also known as digital medicines or e-drugs, are medical apps that use software to diagnose and treat patients. Currently, these apps have not received FDA approval for clinical usage. However, the FDA has approved some digital therapeutics to diagnose and treat ADHD.

Most DTx is used in the treatment of mental health conditions. However, once clinicians see patient benefits from DTx, more will demand their use in treating other conditions such as depression or anxiety.

Vocal Biomarkers

Vocal biomarkers, also known as voice stress analysis, use computer programs to measure and analyze vocal patterns. Certain diseases and illnesses that affect the lungs, vocal folds, heart, or brain can cause changes in a person’s voice. This technology allows doctors to detect and monitor the severity of the disease or illness. For example, it is already in use to detect the onset of Parkinson’s disease.

Automated Report Generation

The future of healthcare will see an increase in data collected on patients. This information can improve the accuracy and speed of medical diagnoses, therapies, and treatments. Due to this large amount of data, there is a need for AI that can process the data with minimal human input. Thus, automated report generation tools are essential for expediting patient recovery.

Biomarker Discovery

With the development of ever-advancing machine learning technologies, researchers are finding new ways to use algorithms to analyze samples for biomarkers that can indicate the presence of certain diseases or illnesses. This is still an active field, with many discoveries being made. However, with access to more data, even more, significant advancements will be made in the future.

Medical Image Analysis

Medical image analysis is one of the most critical fields in the future of healthcare. With more images being taken, there is an increasing need for AI to help detect cancer cells, arterial plaques, blood clots, etc.

Computational Drug Discovery and Drug Effectiveness

With more data on patients, including their genes and how certain medications affect them, there is an increased need for computational drug discovery. Researchers need years to test all the possible drug combinations on patients and study the possible side effects. However, with advances in machine learning and algorithms, researchers could use computational drug discovery and quickly determine which drugs to give patients via the combination of drugs and their genes.

Digital Products for Mental Health

In the future, mental health will take equal importance as physical health. With integrated digital tools into their daily lives, patients will be able to monitor and track their symptoms in real-time. Patients will also view their progress and adjust treatment plans as needed.

People with mental health conditions will benefit from the many advances in machine learning, Big data analysis, and medical image analysis. Researchers believe that these advancements can revolutionize how people think about mental illnesses and how we treat them. Healthtech design will undoubtedly play a key role here as mental health patients will want sleek, efficient, easy-to-use tools they use in their everyday lives.

Conclusion

As we make advancements in healthcare, it will benefit those who suffer from mental and physical ailments. Therefore, there is a great need for AI and other digital tools to increase the accuracy and efficiency of diagnoses and treatments and help patients monitor their symptoms. With the ever-increasing amount of data available, AI systems will only become smarter and more capable to handle this hefty volume.

UI UX plays a significant role in the future of healthcare, and we will continue to see advancements as digital tools become more integrated into users’ lives. Moreover, with convenience and ease-of-use in mind, UI UX in Healthcare has made it easier for this comfortable shift to digitized healthcare. We can look forward to better tools making the lives of patients and healthcare workers easier.

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