Healthcare website UX
Your website can be examined, too.
UX design studies how a person uses something to reach a goal. For your patients, the goal is simple: understand whether you can help them and book without friction. To review that, we use Jakob Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics, translated to your practice.
Updated October 20, 2026 · By José Vignes Asto
A heuristic is to a website what a physical exam is to a patient: a systematic review, with known criteria, that catches problems before the patient suffers them.
The 10 heuristics
The 10 heuristics, applied to your practice
Patients always know what's going on.
At your practiceAfter submitting, they see: "We got your request. We'll reply today before 5 p.m."
Speak the way your patients speak.
At your practice"Dark spots on the skin" before "dyschromia."
Go back without losing what you've done.
At your practiceA multi-step form that doesn't clear when you go back.
The same thing always has the same name.
At your practice"Book a consultation" on every button.
Better to prevent the error than explain it later.
At your practiceThe phone field comes with the country code and flags a missing digit.
Show the options instead of making patients remember or type them.
At your practiceChoosing the reason for visit from a list.
Shortcuts for people who know what they want, without getting in the way of first-time visitors.
At your practiceA direct message button for returning patients.
Anything that doesn't help them decide competes with what does.
At your practiceNo carousels hiding key information.
When something fails, the message says what happened and how to fix it.
At your practice"Your phone number is missing, so we can't confirm your appointment."
Answers to common questions are where patients look for them.
At your practiceFAQs about insurance, preparation, and costs.
Self-assessment
Examine your website in 2 minutes
Question 1 of 10 · Visibility of system status
When a patient contacts you through your website, do they see a message telling them what happens next and when you'll reply?
Answer Yes or No to move to the next question.
0 of 10 answered
Decision psychology
Three biases that decide for your patients
Cognitive load
Every extra decision in a form costs you patients.
Uncertainty aversion
Whatever isn’t explained (cost, recovery, the first visit) gets imagined as worse.
Proof of competence
Patients can’t judge your technique, so they judge what they can see: clarity, order, credentials.
By specialty
How it applies to each specialty
Free Patient Decision Audit