Let’s get one thing straight.
If you run a clinic, hospital, or health service in Boston and your user experience is bad, it’s not just annoying. It’s dangerous.
Patients get lost.
Caregivers get overwhelmed.
Staff waste time.
And none of that helps anyone get better.
This is your checklist.
11 UX issues that are ruining the experience for your patients, your team, and your reputation. Plus how to fix them before they start costing you more than just clicks.
1. Complex Medical Language
Patients in Boston aren’t impressed by how smart you sound. They want to know what to do next.
Mistake: Using dense jargon and long explanations
Impact: Confusion, anxiety, decision paralysis
Fix it: Rewrite everything in plain English. Break down complex terms with examples or diagrams. Use sixth-grade reading level language. Bonus if it’s bilingual.
2. Information Overload
Too many clinics throw everything on one page like it’s a digital junk drawer.
Mistake: Walls of text and too many calls to action
Impact: Overwhelmed users who leave before reading anything
Fix it: Focus each page on one goal. Use headlines, bullet points, and white space. Make it scannable in 10 seconds or less.
Boston patients are busy. Respect their time.
3. Poor Mobile Experience
More than 70 percent of Boston patients check your site from their phone. Most healthcare websites still don’t work right on mobile.
Mistake: Small fonts, broken layouts, tiny buttons
Impact: Drop-offs before the site even loads
Fix it: Build your site mobile-first. Use real devices to test it. Use thumb-friendly buttons. Optimize load time. The average Boston commuter has 15 seconds between stops to decide if they trust you.
4. Broken Appointment Booking
Patients don’t want to call. They want to book now and get confirmation instantly.
Mistake: No online booking, confusing forms, unclear next steps
Impact: Patients give up and go to someone else
Fix it: Make “Book Now” the first thing they see. Use Zocdoc, JaneApp, or your EHR booking link. Cut your forms to three fields max. Confirm it clearly and instantly.
5. Weak Trust Signals
Boston patients are smart and skeptical. If your site feels fake, they leave.
Mistake: Stock photos, no testimonials, bland design
Impact: Low trust, low conversions
Fix it: Use real photos of your staff and location. Add 1 to 3 patient testimonials on every page. Show your affiliations with Harvard, MGH, or relevant associations. Put your Google review count right on the homepage.
6. Inaccessible Design
Healthcare sites should be built for everyone. Most aren’t.
Mistake: Tiny text, bad contrast, no alt tags, no keyboard navigation
Impact: Older adults, people with disabilities, and non-native speakers can’t use your site
Fix it: Follow WCAG 2.1 standards. Use contrast checkers. Add alt tags to images. Use readable fonts and proper header structure. Don’t guess. Test it.
7. Clunky EHR Interfaces
The worst UX isn’t always public. It’s inside your clinic. Most Electronic Health Record systems are a nightmare for staff.
Mistake: Too many clicks, outdated layouts, inconsistent labels
Impact: Slower workflows, frustrated staff, reduced care quality
Fix it: Watch your staff use it. Record common tasks. Work with your vendor to streamline steps. Even reducing three clicks per patient adds up fast in Boston’s high-volume clinics.
8. Fragmented Workflows
Boston clinics often rely on three to five disconnected tools to run one workflow. That’s broken.
Mistake: Patients enter the same info twice. Staff log into multiple systems.
Impact: Errors, wasted time, lower satisfaction
Fix it: Integrate where you can. At minimum, link systems together with shared fields or APIs. Build end-to-end user journeys. The tech is there. The problem is no one is owning the experience.
9. One-Size-Fits-All Internal Interfaces
Front desk staff don’t need the same dashboard as your surgeons. Nurses don’t need a desktop view when they’re on tablets.
Mistake: One system for every role and device
Impact: Slowdowns, errors, frustration
Fix it: Customize experiences by role. Build mobile-friendly views for staff on the move. Support multiple languages if you serve diverse communities like Roxbury or East Boston.
10. Data-First Instead of Task-First
A lot of healthcare platforms are built around databases, not people.
Mistake: You force users to work like your system thinks, not how they naturally behave
Impact: Long training time, inefficient workflows
Fix it: Watch your patients and staff interact with your tools. Map what they’re trying to do. Redesign the workflow around the task, not the data structure.
11. Treating UX Like a “Nice to Have”
In Boston, where competition is fierce and patient expectations are high, UX is not optional.
Mistake: Leaving UX decisions to your dev team or skipping testing
Impact: Patients miss steps. Staff get frustrated. People leave.
Fix it: Treat UX like part of clinical care. Involve real users in design. Run usability tests before launch. Improve based on feedback, not assumptions.
Final Word: Good UX Is Good Healthcare
When your experience is clear, fast, and usable:
- Patients trust you faster
- Caregivers stop guessing
- Staff get more done with less friction
This isn’t about pretty buttons. It’s about fewer missed appointments, less burnout, and better outcomes.
The best clinics in Boston don’t just invest in clinical talent. They invest in patient experience at every touchpoint.
Want Help?
I’m Jake. I design healthcare websites and tools that patients actually understand and use.
- I’ll audit your site or system
- I’ll show you what’s hurting patient experience
- I’ll give you a tailored report and a mockup of your current homepage completely free
📩 Email me: designedbyjake.co@gmail.com
🌐 Learn more: designedby-jake.com
Make your UX your competitive edge. Your patients already expect it.