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What if healthcare apps were boons for the whole of mankind, but suddenly became locked doors for someone who needed them the most? Perhaps that someone was a dyslexic individual, an Alzheimer’s disease-afflicted patient with compromised dexterity, or a visually impaired person struggling to make sense of the app’s displays. Such individuals are often forgotten in the race for sleek designs, flashy features, and tech-intensive utilities. If this resonates with your healthcare app, then you’re doing it all wrong. You’re alienating significant portions of the population, jeopardizing seamless user experience, and unfulfilling the moral duty of just being inclusive.
Accessible healthcare apps tick boxes that others leave out. Besides that, they bring empathy to the table. And an app that includes everyone works because it shows that you personally care for them. If this piques your interest, then this blog’s for you. Explore the ways to chalk up quality-made apps that place accessibility as a top-most priority through the use of inclusive UI/UX. With the best UI UX design services, you’ll possess the technical know-how on doing it right this time.
WHAT ARE ACCESSIBLE HEALTHCARE APPS?
Accessible healthcare apps are platforms that utilize digital tools which are usable by as many people as possible, including ones with disabilities or impairments of some form. One can term an app user-friendly and accessible if it serves individuals with:
1. Disabilities
Visual Impairments: This includes those with compromised to no vision or color-blind individuals.
According to the WHO, around 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment.
Motor Disabilities: This involves people with limited limb movement, tremors, slurred speech, and loss of muscle control.
Around 75 million people are affected globally by this, as reported by the WHO.
Hearing Impairments: This encompasses those with partial to complete deafness.
According to the WHO, 430 million people have disabling hearing loss.
Cognitive Setbacks: This comprises individuals with cognitive challenges such as dyslexia, ADHD, autism, and memory issues.
The WHO states that around 200 million people are affected by cognitive disabilities worldwide.
2. Limited Tech-Savviness
Aging individuals are not as well-versed with technology as modern generations. Thus, such portions of the population may be at a disadvantage when it comes to using and navigating through digital features in healthcare apps.
3. Temporary Impairments
People with temporary injuries like a broken hand may not be able to use apps during healing times. So, accessible healthcare apps overcome such a challenge by incorporating text and voice recognition.
This way, you can guarantee that no one is left behind. Here are some noteworthy statistics pertaining to accessible healthcare apps.
| DID YOU KNOW? As per Accenture Health, 67% of patients cite that ease of use and accessibility are the most important factors when it comes to choosing a healthcare app. |
| DID YOU KNOW? The disability market is worth over $8 trillion globally, as cited by Return on Disability Group. |
OK, ACCESSIBILITY MATTERS – BUT WHY?
You’re trying to book a doctor’s appointment but in doing so, the experience is pretty frustrating due to the ant-sized text, eye-straining visuals, and overwhelming features. Worse, the app lacks any consideration for people with disabilities. So, if someone with impairments tries to use it, a seamless experience won’t be their takeaway. But can the future of healthcare risk such barriers with dire consequences? No – and that’s why accessibility in healthcare matters. But why exactly? Let’s explore.
1. Health is a Fundamental Right
Everyone, irrespective of their caste, creed, gender, age, or quality of life, deserves equitable access to healthcare. Therefore, any digital tools or benefits that virtual healthcare apps offer should equally reflect that inclusivity.
2. It Heightens Trust and Loyalty
An app that cares for all types of users is one that is loved by all. If a healthcare platform is accessible, using it becomes a breeze. Thus, patients tend to stick with them in the long run, leading to better user retention and engagement rates.
3. It’s Bound By Legality
Many countries enforce accessibility regulations such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These ensure that healthcare apps abide by rules that uphold weaker sections of society.
4. It Improves User Experience
Apps for disabilities make life easier for anyone impaired in some way or another. Their clean and intuitive UI design rings in increased customer satisfaction.
| DID YOU KNOW? A Microsoft Inclusive Design Study stated that companies that embrace inclusive design see a 28% higher revenue and 2x net income compared to those that don’t. |
WCAG COMPLIANCE IN HEALTHCARE APPS
Accessibility in the digital space ties to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This refers to a set of globally-recognized standards devised by the World Wide Web Consortium with the aim of making websites and apps more user-friendly for the disabled population. It is crucial for various stakeholders – including designers and developers, business firms, healthcare organizations, and the patient clientele – to be informed about WCAG compliance.
WCAG compliance is rooted in four core principles, often referred to as POUR. These are listed below:
1. Perceivable
Presented information must be easily interpreted by users by one of their senses.
2. Operable
Users must be able to access and navigate through every webpage element with ease. This involves usage of the keyboard or voice control for non-mouse users. Additionally, accessible touch targets should be provisioned.
3. Understandable
Healthcare apps must be functional and nothing fancy. Content and operation must be understandable – this means avoiding technical jargon, overwhelming features, using plain language, and providing navigable instructions.
4. Robust
As apps with disabilities evolve, so does their ability to sync compatible with assistive technologies like screen readers. This ensures that they effectively align with varying user needs and technological advances.
LEVELS OF WCAG COMPLIANCE
WCAG compliance rests on three levels of conformance, namely A, AA, and AAA. Each of them confers a certain level of accessibility delivered, with A indicating the barest minimum for any app and AAA implying the highest provisions for inclusivity.
1. Level ‘A’
This includes the bare minimum requirements that every web/mobile application must meet. These are:
a. Content compatibility with assistive technologies
b. Keyboard-only content access
c. Clearly labelled forms
d. Proving crystal clear instructions for smooth navigation
2. Level ‘AA’
This refers to accessibility conformance greater than level A. Requirements include:
a. Consistency of text and elements
b. Striking color contrast between text and background
c. Content with clear heading structure and logical flow (H1, H2, H3)
3. Level ‘AAA’
Prerequisites in this category encompass the highest degrees of accessibility, which is extremely challenging to achieve by apps in the real world. They are:
a. Sign language translation for pre-recorded video content
b. Expanded audio descriptions for pre-recorded video content
c. At least a contrast ratio of 7 to 1 for texts and backgrounds
| GUESS WHAT? According to a study published in 2022 by Accessibility.com, over 85% of healthcare apps and websites fail to meet basic WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards, putting them at risk for accessibility lawsuits and alienating those with disabilities. |
LIFESAVING DISABILITY-FRIENDLY FEATURES FOR HEALTHCARE APPS
The next question arises – how do you develop healthcare apps that are disability-friendly? Well, for starters, they need to go beyond just surface-level design. With some thoughtful considerations as listed below, you can strategically make your app inclusive, and UI companies like Naskay Technologies can do it for you with the following tweaks:
1. Voice Navigation and Screen Reader Compatibility
Individuals who are visually impaired may benefit from voice navigation. If vision is a problem, then the sense of hearing is touched upon, and smart AI has made that possible with voice recognition. Assistants like Google Assistant (Android) or Siri (iOS) can help one open an app and perform actions with voice without having to type anything.
In addition, those with motor challenges may struggle to obtain enough stability in their hands to touch phone screens precisely. So, screen readers can help overcome this challenge by reading out display content, instructions, and navigational controls to such users. Moreover, such a feature is conducive for when you’re on the go or multitasking. Screen recorders such as TalkBack (Android) or VoiceOver (iOS) are some popular examples. When apps for disabilities effectively sync with screen readers, users can:
a. Navigate through menus and options using gestures and keyboard shortcuts
b. Hear an audio description of buttons and labels
c. Enter text using Braille devices or dictation
2. Captions and Transcripts
Now, what about those who are deaf or hard of hearing? For them, voice commands would not do any good as they wouldn’t be able to hear them. Such people can benefit from captions and transcripts, by reading the speech used in video and audio content.
3. Simple, Intuitive, and Consistent Navigation
When it comes to app design, professional, simple, clean, and intuitive layouts are game-changers. Those with cognitive setbacks or limited digital literacy may find it extremely burdening to deal with intensive visuals and technical jargon. So, implementing minimalism in every aspect is key for impeccable user experience and customer satisfaction. Also, include navigation features, headers, footers, and sidebars across all web pages. This consistent strategy helps ensure that users can easily find various elements on the page within seconds.
4. Keyboard and Switch Access
Not all can touch, swipe, or scroll on a touchscreen due to possible physical disabilities or motor challenges. This is where mobile app development tools such as keyboard functionality and switch access come in. The use of adaptive wired or Bluetooth keyboards allows users to control their devices using external hardware switching or on-screen scanning. This way quadriplegics and those affected with neuromuscular conditions can control healthcare apps themselves, without any external help.
5. Text Size and Contrast
Text displayed on the app must be large and strikingly noticeable. Utilize standard font styles to ensure complete readability. Moreover, a high contrast ratio between text and background with a consistent color code must be maintained to ensure that users are not lost within confusing color patterns. This app design modification is particularly useful for color blind individuals and those with compromised vision.
6. Non-Flashy Design Elements
Excessive flashing can lead to seizures. So, when creating healthcare apps, ensure that design elements are created such that they should not flash more than three times in a one-second interval.
7. No Time Limit on Form-Entry Functions
Some people might take prolonged periods of time during form entry. So, it’s vital to either not keep a stipulated time limit or extend it at the most.
8. Feedback and Error Handling
Providing clear feedback on user actions and errors committed is a nifty way of letting users know what they did wrong and what they can do to fix it. Explicit corrective messages or microinteractions like a loading spinner (something in progress), a green tick mark (a successful action), or a vibration (to signal an encountered hurdle) are some of the many ways constructive feedback can be provided to patients throughout their time on the app.
HOW OUR COMPANY CAN HELP
Mobile app development firms like Naskay Technologies specialize in building accessible, inclusive, and intuitive healthcare apps tailored to your audience. With years of skilled experience in developing interactive prototypes, we utilize our business acumen with patient-centric approaches. Our team includes UI/UX designers, developers, and accessibility experts who:
1. Ensure ADA and WCAG compliance
2. Integrate assistive technology support
3. Can design an inclusive user interface for every group type
4. Test accessibility in real-time settings over a wide spectrum of patients
5. Provide consultation and training on accessible design in healthcare apps
THE FINAL VERDICT
Healthcare apps have the power to save lives – but only if they’re inclusively designed for everyone. Otherwise, you’d just end up building an app that’s biased and excluding sections of the population perhaps requiring medical aid more than ever. If this is the case, then you’re simply losing out on significant profits while also indirectly denying individuals the fundamental right to accessible healthcare. Thus, going forward, it’s crucial to value equity above all else.
So, what next? It’s time to scale up and build healthcare apps that are not just functional but equally necessary, and we’re here to help you see it through. We’re only one call away. Consult us today to explore how our mobile app development services can turn your vision into an impactful healthcare solution that’s beneficial for all.
FAQs
1. What’s the business benefit of investing in accessibility in healthcare apps?
Primarily, every business venture must abide by morals and ethics. Besides that, accessible healthcare apps tend to have a wider user reach – including aging populations and people with some form of disability. By making users feel valued and cared for, customer satisfaction is further fortified and brand loyalty is instilled. Therefore, investing in accessibility is smart rather than superfluous.
2. Is accessibility only about people with disabilities?
No. The more inclusive an app is, the better it works for everyone. Think of closed captions in noisy environments, voice control when your hands are full, or readable fonts for individuals in low-lit settings.
3. How can accessibility improve retention rates and reduce app abandonment?
If users encounter barriers like illegible text, confusing navigation, or forms that don’t work with screen readers, they’ll simply leave due to boredom and frustration. Accessible healthcare apps facilitate ease of use by the public, thus building gradual yet steady trust in them and keeping people coming back for more.
4. How can voice navigation improve healthcare access for elderly users?
Aging users struggle with stabilizing their limbs, so they face difficulties with typing or small touch targets. Voice navigation helps them interact with the app hands-free by speaking commands aloud.
5. What role does inclusive language play in apps for disabilities?
For starters, avoid medical jargon, and use as plain language as possible. Talk using first-person terminologies, avoid gendered assumptions, and be culturally sensitive. By incorporating inclusive language in the app, you are building trust and comfort among a diverse range of users.
Design with inclusivity, empathy, and impact. Ready to build healthcare apps for everyone?
Let’s make digital health accessible together!