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Blog

September 25, 2024

Sarah Satterfield

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VP of Experience

As technology continues to transform the healthcare industry, the importance of human-centered design in health tech is becoming more evident. Designing with the user in mind—whether that user is a patient, doctor, or healthcare provider—ensures that innovations are not only technologically advanced but also accessible, effective, and empathetic. Here are four trends shaping the intersection of healthcare technology and human-centered design.

1. Telehealth

The post-COVID-19 adoption of telehealth makes it one of the most significant trends in health tech. Telehealth services allow patients to connect with healthcare providers remotely, making access to healthcare easy, safe, and convenient. Telehealth has evolved quickly with human-centered design playing a crucial role in ensuring these experiences are user-friendly, secure, and accessible to everyone—including older adults and those with disabilities.

Experience design for health tech focuses on intuitive interfaces, design simplicity, clear communication channels, and seamless integration with electronic health records (EHRs) to improve both the patient and provider experience. Removing barriers to adoption like onboarding and access is critical while still delivering robust security protection in healthcare app design. The key to virtual healthcare experiences is empathetic design that considers diverse user needs and creates a digital care environment that still feels personal, supportive, and secure.

2. Wearable Health Devices

Wearable technology, such as fitness trackers, smartwatches, and remote patient monitoring (RPM), has become a staple in personal health management for many demographics. Users benefit from real-time data on various health metrics like heart rate, sleep patterns, and physical activity levels. Today we see a move toward more advanced wearables that can monitor chronic conditions, detect early signs of disease, and provide actionable insights.

Human-centered design in wearable health devices focuses on creating devices that are not only functional but also comfortable, secure, look great, and are easy to use. But to achieve high adoption and consistent usage, it’s critical to ensure the devices are not intrusive but seamlessly integrated into the user’s daily life.

For example, for senior adults, wearable health devices hold a wealth of benefits and possibilities but adoption comes with significant barriers. To overcome this, design considerations must be made that revolve around the daily lives and unique pain points of seniors. Wearability and comfort, ease of use, accessibility, access to customer support, and paired adult-child health app design are all critical to making sure seniors get the most out of the technology.

3. AI-Powered Health Solutions

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing healthcare by enhancing diagnostics, personalizing treatment plans, and predicting health outcomes. AI-driven tools like chatbots, virtual assistants, and diagnostic algorithms are increasingly being used to assist healthcare providers and improve patient care.

Human-centered design in AI health solutions is critical to ensure that the tools we design for users are transparent, reliable, and easy to understand. Patients and providers must trust and feel comfortable using AI-powered solutions, which require clear explanations of how the technology works, what data it uses, and how it impacts decision-making. The design must also address biases in AI to ensure equitable care for all patient populations.

4. Mental Health Tech

The growing awareness and shifting societal views of mental health issues have led to a surge in digital tools designed to support mental well-being. From apps for meditation and stress management to therapist matching and virtual mental healthcare, this space is experiencing rapid growth and providing users with accessible mental health resources.

The growing awareness and shifting societal views of mental health issues have led to rapid growth in mental health tech and users have more access to mental health resources than ever before. From apps for meditation and stress management to therapist matching and virtual mental healthcare, technology is bringing mental health tools to the masses.

Human-centered design is at the core of mental health tech. It’s critical to prioritize privacy, personalization, and user engagement. Features such as anonymous usage, customizable content, and real-time support are essential to creating a safe and supportive space for users. Designs must be unequivocally inclusive and accessible, catering to diverse mental health needs across different audiences.

Heath Tech for Today and Tomorrow

The convergence of health tech and human-centered design is driving innovations that are not only technologically advanced but also deeply attuned to the needs and experiences of users. By prioritizing empathy, accessibility, and user engagement, these trends are setting the stage for a more inclusive, effective, and equitable healthcare system. As these technologies continue to evolve, the focus on human-centered design will be crucial in ensuring that health tech solutions truly serve the people they are designed for.

Read our case study to see how the crew at Alloy worked with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to create a health tech web app that delivers data insights and personalized healthcare—designed for humans.