Home Pages For HIPAA-Compliant Websites and Patient Portals

What Home Pages Do Wrong

The most common problem that home pages suffer from is that they’re not customized to the needs of the site. While every home page has branding and writing that’s unique to the business, it’s just as important that the home page does what you want it to do to increase sales. A business shouldn’t be limited by the restrictions of the HIPAA eCommerce framework their site runs on.

Home Page Solutions

When creating a home page, it’s vital to ask a question: What are the most important steps we want our customers to take? When that is decided, the design of the home page can begin.

Let’s talk about some common scenarios in which HIPAA home pages can be adapted for your project. (Not all of these are applicable to every site.)

Call To Action

Sometimes the primary focus of a business is to get the process started as soon as possible. These companies are often offering a service, so they want to engage the site visitor as quickly as possible. A common call to action (CTA) would be “Start Your Consultation” or “Find the _____ that’s best for you.”

Workflow

The medical field is confusing for dozens of reasons. Patients get confused about doctor instructions, prescriptions, insurance, and much more.

So when they come to your site, you don’t want to be just one more step that confuses—and frustrates—them. They want to know what to do the second they get to your site, including icons showing a brief description of what the steps are and what to expect from the process. Numbering each step can reassure them that these are tried-and-true methods for getting the outcome they came to your site for.

An example might be:

1. Order a sample collection kit
2. Wait for your doctor’s approval
3. Collect your blood sample when you receive the kit
4. Ship the kit back to us

After that, a CTA will tell them to click to start these steps. The rest of the page can be used for whatever best fits your business, from testimonials to FAQs about HIPAA security. But in cases like this, it’s often the workflow that should be front and center when someone reaches your site.

Market Your Product

Workflow steps can also flow directly into information that might boost a potential customer’s confidence in your product. You might have offered them a “Start the Process” CTA, but research and A-B testing of your site might show that people want reassurance before.

This might include short bios of doctors that recommend your product, or a list of companies that use your services. At that point it’s always a good idea to offer another CTA.

Start Shopping, Buy It Now

Some business models—namely HIPAA eCommerce companies—put their products front and center on the home page with a very clear message: “Buy It.” There will be additional marketing materials lower on the page, but the top of the page is all about removing any friction between their product and the customer.

Another prominent feature on eCommerce platforms is the search bar. You want this to be very noticeable and easy to find so that customers can find exactly what they’re looking for.

Device Portals

Wearable medical devices are becoming increasingly popular, as are at-home units that connect to a HIPAA-compliant patient portal. Such devices usually connect via Bluetooth or USB cable.

Patient-doctor portals can have very simple home pages, even if the device owner’s personalized page is full of information. Home pages can be as simple as choosing between an icon for a healthcare professional or a patient/wearer. They could also be as simple as choosing from images of available devices and then creating an account. The important thing is to direct the user to the next step with no confusion.

Clarity’s Free Resources

It’s important to remember that home pages can be incredibly versatile, so long as you aren’t limited by the CMS or eCommerce platform you’re using. Not only can you help guide customers through the process, but you can have subsites for different regions, devices, languages, and branding preferences.

Clarity has extensive experience in the HIPAA space, especially when it comes to eCommerce. Not only do we have dozens of articles addressing HIPAA topics on our website, but we also offer a complimentary discovery session. We’ll put together a plan of action that’s specific to your business, and you can use this plan whether you work with us or not.