Best UX Writing Practices for Digital Health Chatbot Dialogue
The integration of chatbots into digital health devices and apps is on the rise – the market for these chatbots is expected to top $1.2 billion by 2032 (Source: Vantage Market Research). The impetus behind this explosive growth: by automating simple processes – leveraging chatbots to do some of the work – healthcare providers are free to focus more on complex caregiving, easing the burden on medical professionals and enhancing the patient experience.
Chatbots, which fall under the same umbrella of conversational interfaces as do voice assistants like Alexa and Siri, empower users to engage seamlessly and organically with devices. They elevate the patient experience by delivering heightened personalization, real-time information, improved accessibility, and valuable support. Well-designed chatbots can serve as helpful companions for clinicians, patients and even their families. Use cases abound. Here are just a few examples.
Chatbot Use Cases
Symptom checker
AI-powered symptom checkers analyze users’ symptoms, and can serve as the first line of contact between patient and healthcare provider. The integrated chatbot can ask relevant questions and connect users with an appropriate provider, whether via phone, telehealth or in-person appointment.
Blood glucose monitor
Chatbots can assist diabetic patients by delivering reminders for blood glucose testing, providing dietary advice based on glucose levels, and offering educational information about managing diabetes.
Heart rate monitor
Integrating a chatbot with heart rate monitors can provide users with real-time feedback on their cardiovascular health. The chatbot can offer advice on stress management, encourage physical activity, and provide emergency response information if abnormal heart rates are detected.
Mental health app
These apps use AI to provide evidence-based interventions to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression and other conditions. The chatbot is always ready for short, personalized conversations, built on proven psychological techniques, that grow increasingly tailored as a user interacts with the bot.
Medication dispensing system
Chatbots can send medication reminders, educate patients about the importance of medication adherence, and significantly answer questions related to dosage and potential side effects. They can also facilitate communication between patients and healthcare providers.
Hearing aid
Chatbots can assist users with adjusting settings on their hearing aids, provide maintenance tips, and offer support for adapting to life with hearing impairment. They can also connect users with resources for further assistance.
Best Practices for Writing within Chatbot Environments
Creating an effective chatbot of course involves thoughtful, human-centric UX design. But there’s another element of the software development process that doesn’t get as much attention but is of prime importance. I’m referring to UX writing – creating the copy that helps users navigate and interact with digital products.
With the rise of generative AI like ChatGPT, it’s never been easier to create chatbot scripts. But creating engaging, user-centric experiences requires mastery of the intricacies of chatbot interface writing.
So whether you’re writing prompts for an AI assistant or going old school with a blank page, follow best practices that emphasize clarity, empathy and contextual relevance to create responsive dialogue that feels natural and aligns seamlessly with user expectations.
When writing for chatbots, you’ll improve your product by focusing on these six elements:
1. Emphasize clarity
Precision in language is key and ambiguity can lead to user confusion and frustration. Minimize cognitive load by simplifying tasks and using terminology that reflects users' existing knowledge – and ensure that every word serves a clear purpose and guides users effortlessly through the interface.
2. Champion consistency
Establish a linguistic style guide. Consistent tone and terminology across your software foster a sense of familiarity, building trust and reducing cognitive load for users. Of course you must deeply understand your audience and tailor your chatbot's tone and style to align with the preferences of your target audience. And don’t forget to connect on a human level. Users appreciate a chatbot that understands and acknowledges their emotions so incorporate empathy into your responses, especially when addressing user concerns or issues.
3. Carefully phrase microcopy
Pay attention to the details as the words you choose shape the user journey. Concise and informative microcopy for button labels, error messages and elsewhere can guide users seamlessly through their journey. Confusing copy can lead to user frustration.
4. Support contextual awareness
Design your chatbot to remember the conversation and maintain context throughout interactions. This ensures a more natural and coherent dialogue, enhancing the overall user experience.
5. Provide transparency around data security
When creating a digital health device that must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), additional considerations and best practices come into play – for instance encrypting data, employing robust user authentication processes and access controls, and maintaining audit logs of user interactions. When crafting copy, instill user confidence with concise language that articulates these security elements.
6. Test and iterate
Regularly test your chatbot with real users and gather feedback. Use these insights to refine both the conversation flow and the language used, ensuring continuous improvement.
The Takeaway
By leveraging these best practices, UX writers (working in concert with skilled UX designers) can create digital health and medical device chatbots and conversational interfaces that not only meet functional requirements but also address the nuanced needs and challenges of clinicians, caregivers, patients and anyone striving to optimize their health.