Designing digital products that enable behaviour change in healthcare and pharma

Behavioural science studies how people make decisions and the factors that influence their actions. It delves into the cognitive biases, social influences, and emotional triggers that drive behaviour. By integrating these insights into the design process, digital products in healthcare can become powerful tools for change.

One key concept from behavioural science is nudging—subtly guiding users towards a desired action without restricting their choices. In a healthcare context, nudging can be instrumental in encouraging medication adherence, regular exercise, or healthy eating habits. For example, a mobile app that reminds patients to take their medication at specific times, reinforced with positive feedback when they do, uses nudging to foster consistent behaviour.

Habits are formed through repetition and reward. Digital products aiming to instil healthy behaviours must focus on creating experiences that are both engaging and rewarding. BJ Fogg’s Behaviour Model—which states that behaviour happens when motivation, ability, and a trigger converge—provides a useful framework for designing habit-forming products.

Motivation

Understanding what motivates users is crucial. In healthcare, motivations might range from improving health outcomes to achieving peace of mind. Designers can tap into these intrinsic motivations by providing clear, meaningful reasons to engage with the product. For instance, apps that show progress in real-time, like tracking steps or blood pressure, can reinforce the motivation to continue using the app.

Ability

Even motivated users will falter if the task is too complex. Simplicity is key in designing for behaviour change. The product should reduce friction and make the desired action as easy as possible. For example, simplifying the process of logging health data or setting up medication reminders increases the likelihood of consistent user engagement.

Triggers

Effective triggers remind users to take action. These can be push notifications, emails, or in-app messages that prompt users at the right time. However, timing and frequency are critical. Too many notifications can lead to alert fatigue, where users start ignoring prompts. A balance must be struck, using triggers strategically to guide users without overwhelming them.

Personalisation is another powerful tool in designing for behaviour change. By tailoring content and recommendations to individual users based on their preferences, behaviour, and health data, digital products can create more relevant and engaging experiences. For example, a pharmaceutical portal might suggest personalised content and tailored advice based on an HCP’s specialism and previous engagement behaviour.

Additionally, personalisation fosters a sense of ownership and accountability. When users see that a product understands their unique needs, they are more likely to engage with it consistently. This is particularly important in healthcare, where personalised interventions can lead to better health outcomes.

Social proof—the tendency to follow the actions of others—can be a powerful motivator in healthcare design. Integrating community features or showing users how others are benefiting from similar behaviours can encourage them to adopt those behaviours themselves. For instance, a fitness app might display how many people in a user’s network have completed a workout, motivating the user to do the same.

Gamification, the application of game-like elements in non-game contexts, is another strategy that can drive behaviour change. By incorporating elements like points, badges, leaderboards, or challenges, healthcare apps can make routine tasks more engaging. However, it’s important that these elements feel authentic and tied to meaningful outcomes—superficial gamification can quickly lose its impact.

While designing for behaviour change, it’s important to consider the ethical implications. Healthcare products have a profound impact on users’ lives, and manipulating behaviour, even for positive outcomes, must be done transparently and respectfully.

Users should feel in control and informed about how and why their behaviour is being influenced. Informed consent, data privacy, and clear communication are critical in maintaining trust and ensuring that behaviour-driven design benefits users without compromising their autonomy.

Designing digital products for the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors requires a deep understanding of behavioural science principles. By focusing on motivation, simplicity, personalisation, social proof, and gamification, designers can create products that not only meet user needs but also drive lasting behaviour change.

As digital healthcare continues to grow, the intersection of design and behavioural science will be crucial in shaping healthier habits and better health outcomes.

If you're looking to design habit-forming digital experiences that drive meaningful change, get in touch. Our team of experts can help you create impactful products tailored to your users' need