Healthcare Website Information Architecture Template

Healthcare websites serve multiple audiences with urgent needs: patients seeking care, families researching conditions, and providers looking for referral information. This template helps you organize medical content, services, and tools in a way that prioritizes patient safety and findability—not hospital departments.

Why Healthcare Website IA Matters

The healthcare reality:

77% of patients search online before booking an appointment
63% use hospital websites to find doctors and services
Poor healthcare IA can delay critical care or cause confusion
Mobile health searches increased 300% in past 5 years
HIPAA and accessibility compliance require clear navigation

Card sorting reveals:

How patients think about symptoms vs. conditions vs. treatments
Whether users search by symptom, specialty, or provider name
Where urgent care, patient portals, and billing belong
How families vs. patients organize information differently

Template Overview

What's Included

Ready-to-use cards (45 healthcare website elements):

Services & specialties (Primary Care, Emergency, Pediatrics, Cardiology)
Patient tools (Find a Doctor, Patient Portal, Bill Pay, Appointments)
Health information (Conditions, Symptoms, Treatments, Prevention)
Visitor & patient support (Hours, Locations, Insurance, Visitor Info)
About & trust (About Us, Quality Ratings, Patient Reviews, Awards)

Recommended study type: Hybrid card sort (some structure, allow flexibility)

Suggested participants: 25-30 patients and family members

Time to complete: 10-12 minutes

Analysis time: 3-4 hours

The Template: Healthcare Website IA Card Sort

Cards to Sort (45 items)

Medical Services & Specialties (12 cards):

Emergency Department (ER)
Urgent Care
Primary Care / Family Medicine
Pediatrics / Children's Health
Women's Health / OB-GYN
Cardiology / Heart Care
Orthopedics / Bones & Joints
Cancer Care / Oncology
Mental Health / Behavioral Health
Surgery Services
Imaging & Radiology
Laboratory Services

Patient Tools & Self-Service (10 cards):

Patient Portal / MyChart
Schedule Appointment Online
Find a Doctor
Pay My Bill
Request Medical Records
Prescription Refills
Virtual Visits / Telehealth
Pre-Register for Appointment
Price Estimator Tool
Test Results

Health Information & Education (8 cards):

Conditions & Diseases A-Z
Symptoms Checker
Treatment Options
Health & Wellness Blog
Preventive Care Guidelines
Patient Education Videos
Clinical Trials
Health Risk Assessments

Location & Visitor Information (8 cards):

Locations & Directions
Hours of Operation
Parking Information
Visitor Guidelines
Cafeteria & Gift Shop
Hotel & Lodging Nearby
Campus Map
Language Services / Interpreters

Support & Administrative (7 cards):

Insurance Accepted
Billing & Financial Assistance
Patient Rights & Privacy (HIPAA)
Medical Records Request
Advance Directives
Patient & Family Resources
Contact Us / Help

Suggested pre-made categories (for hybrid sort):

Category 1: I Need Care Now
Category 2: Schedule Care
Category 3: My Health Information
Category 4: Visiting the Hospital
Category 5: Billing & Insurance
Category 6: Learn About Health

Instructions for participants:

Welcome! We're redesigning our hospital website to better serve patients and families.

Please organize these services, tools, and information into groups that make sense to you.

You can use the suggested categories or create your own.

Think about a time when you or a family member needed medical care—what would you look for first?

Takes about 12 minutes. Thank you for helping us improve patient care!

Real-World Example: Regional Hospital System

Before Card Sorting

Original navigation (hospital's internal structure):

├─ About Us
├─ Services
│  ├─ Cardiology
│  ├─ Orthopedics
│  ├─ Pediatrics
│  └─ [20 more departments]
├─ For Patients
│  ├─ Patient Portal
│  ├─ Billing
│  └─ Visitor Info
├─ Providers
├─ Careers
└─ Giving

Problems:

Patients didn't know if "chest pain" went under Cardiology, Emergency, or Urgent Care
"Patient Portal" buried 3 clicks deep
48% bounce rate from homepage
High call volume for "Where do I go for...?" questions

Card Sort Results

30 patients and family members sorted 45 healthcare elements. Key findings:

"Get Care Now" group (88%+ agreement):

- Emergency Department
- Urgent Care
- Find Nearest Location
- Symptoms Checker (to determine urgency)
- Call 911 / Emergency Info

"Find the Right Care" group (75%+ agreement):

- Find a Doctor by Specialty
- Find a Doctor by Name
- Search by Condition/Symptom
- Schedule Appointment
- Virtual Visit Options

"My Account" group (82%+ agreement):

- Patient Portal / MyChart
- Pay Bill
- Test Results
- Medical Records
- Prescription Refills
- My Appointments

"Plan My Visit" group (70%+ agreement):

- Locations & Hours
- Parking & Directions
- What to Bring
- Visitor Guidelines
- Insurance & Coverage

Surprising insights:

85% wanted "Symptoms Checker" to help determine if they need ER vs. Urgent Care vs. Wait
Patient Portal should be TOP-LEVEL navigation, not buried (patients use it daily)
"Insurance Accepted" should appear BEFORE scheduling, not just in footer
Families searching for elderly parents wanted "Senior Care Services" grouped separately
"Virtual Visits" belongs with scheduling, not buried under services

Implemented Solution

New navigation (based on card sort):

Main Nav:
├─ Find Care
│  ├─ Emergency vs. Urgent Care (Symptoms Checker)
│  ├─ Find a Doctor (by specialty, name, or condition)
│  ├─ Locations & Hours
│  └─ Virtual Visits
├─ Services
│  ├─ Primary Care
│  ├─ Specialty Care (grouped by body system)
│  ├─ Emergency & Urgent Care
│  └─ Surgical Services
├─ For Patients
│  ├─ Schedule Appointment
│  ├─ Prepare for Visit
│  ├─ Insurance & Billing
│  └─ Medical Records
├─ Health Info
│  ├─ Conditions A-Z
│  ├─ Health Library
│  ├─ Blog & Videos
│  └─ Preventive Care
└─ About Us
   ├─ Our Hospitals
   ├─ Quality & Safety
   └─ Patient Stories

Persistent Top Bar: [Patient Portal] [Pay Bill] [Contact] [Careers]

Results after 6 months:

Homepage bounce rate: 48% → 26%
Patient Portal logins: +143%
Online appointment bookings: +67%
Call center volume ("where do I go?"): -52%
Patient satisfaction scores: +18 points

Best Practices for Healthcare Website Card Sorting

1. Test with Patients, Not Staff

Don't test with:

Doctors and nurses (use medical terminology, know internal structure)
Only healthy people (different mindset than someone seeking care)
Only one demographic (seniors vs. parents of young children)

Do test with:

Recent patients (visited in last 6 months)
Mix of ages (parents with kids, seniors, adults)
Mix of health literacy levels
Both patients and family caregivers

2. Use Patient Language, Not Medical Jargon

Wrong card labels:

"Otolaryngology"
"Gastroenterology"
"Phlebotomy Services"

Right card labels:

"Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)"
"Digestive Health / Stomach Specialists"
"Blood Draw / Lab Testing"

Exception: When patients search by medical term (after diagnosis), provide both.

3. Prioritize Urgent Tasks

Healthcare is time-sensitive:

Emergency vs. Urgent Care decision
Symptoms that need immediate attention
Finding nearest open location NOW

Test whether urgent tasks should be top-level, persistent, or both.

4. Test for Multiple User Journeys

Different healthcare seekers:

Emergency seeker: "I need help NOW"
Appointment scheduler: "I need to see a doctor this week"
Researcher: "I want to learn about this condition"
Existing patient: "I need to access my records/pay bill"

Include cards that serve all journeys. See which are primary navigation vs. quick links.

5. Consider Accessibility & Health Literacy

Healthcare websites must serve everyone:

Low health literacy populations
Non-English speakers
Vision/hearing impaired (screen readers)
Elderly users (less tech-savvy)

Use clear, simple card labels that don't require medical knowledge.

Common Healthcare Website IA Patterns

Pattern 1: Service/Department-First (Traditional)

├─ Cardiology
├─ Orthopedics
├─ Pediatrics
├─ Oncology
└─ [20 more departments]

Best for: Large academic medical centers, physician referrals

Pros: Mirrors hospital structure, easy for providers Cons: Patients don't think in departments, hard to navigate

Example: Most large hospital systems (traditional approach)

Pattern 2: Patient Task-First (Modern)

├─ Find Care (symptoms, doctors, locations)
├─ My Account (portal, billing, records)
├─ Visit Us (locations, hours, parking)
└─ Health Library (learn about conditions)

Best for: Patient-centered care, modern hospitals

Pros: Matches patient mental models, task-oriented Cons: Requires cultural shift from department-centric thinking

Example: Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic (patient-first approach)

Pattern 3: Condition/Symptom-First (Search-Driven)

Search: "What's wrong with me?"
├─ By Symptom (chest pain, headache, fever)
├─ By Condition (diabetes, heart disease, cancer)
├─ By Body Part (heart, brain, stomach)
└─ [Guided to appropriate care]

Best for: Large patient populations, primary care networks

Pros: Natural search behavior, symptom-driven Cons: Complex to build, requires symptom database

Example: WebMD, Healthline (health information sites)

Pattern 4: Hybrid (Multi-Path)

Top Tasks:
├─ Find a Doctor
├─ Schedule Appointment
├─ Patient Portal
└─ Pay Bill

Main Nav:
├─ Services (by specialty)
├─ Conditions (by symptom/disease)
├─ Locations
└─ For Patients (tools & resources)

Best for: Comprehensive healthcare systems

Pros: Serves all user types, flexible Cons: More complex, requires thoughtful design

Example: Kaiser Permanente, Johns Hopkins

Using This Template

Step 1: Customize for Your Practice (20 minutes)

Replace generic services with your specific offerings:

Generic template:

- Cardiology
- Orthopedics
- Pediatrics

Your practice (e.g., children's hospital):

- Newborn Care / NICU
- Pediatric Emergency
- Child & Teen Mental Health
- Sports Medicine for Kids
- Pediatric Surgery
- Childhood Cancer Care
- Developmental Pediatrics

Include your unique services (e.g., "Telehealth for Teens," "Lactation Support," "Family Birthing Center").

Step 2: Set Up Study (5 minutes)

Create study →

Settings:

Type: Hybrid card sort (provide suggested categories, allow custom)
Cards: 40-50
Suggested categories:
- I Need Care Now
- Schedule Care
- My Health Information
- Visiting the Hospital
- Billing & Insurance
- Learn About Health
Collect: Name, Email, Relationship (patient, family caregiver, other)

Step 3: Recruit Patients & Families (2-3 days)

Email template (send to recent patients):

Subject: Help improve our website (12 min, $20 gift card)

Dear [Name],

As a valued patient, we'd like your input on improving our website.

Help us organize services and information in a way that makes sense to you. It takes 12 minutes, and you'll receive a $20 gift card.

[Link to study]

Your feedback helps us better serve our community.

Sincerely,
[Hospital Name] Patient Experience Team

Target: 25-30 participants (mix of patients and family caregivers)

Step 4: Analyze Results (3-4 hours)

Look for:

Urgent vs. non-urgent care:
- How do users separate emergency, urgent care, appointments?
- What helps them decide where to go?
Patient self-service tasks:
- Which tools (portal, billing, scheduling) group together?
- Should they be top-level or under "For Patients"?
Information vs. action:
- How do users separate learning about health vs. getting care?
- Where does "conditions A-Z" belong?
Trust & transparency:
- Where do quality ratings, reviews, insurance info belong?

Key metrics: Agreement scores, category names users create, surprising groupings

Step 5: Design Patient-Centered IA (1-2 weeks)

Based on results:

Top tasks (persistent, always visible):
- Patient Portal
- Find a Doctor
- Schedule Appointment
- Emergency vs. Urgent Care
Primary navigation (4-6 main categories):
- Based on high-agreement groupings
- Use patient language, not medical jargon
Search & wayfinding:
- Symptom checker
- Find care by condition
- Find doctor by specialty/name
Secondary navigation:
- Lower-priority tasks (careers, giving, research)

Step 6: Test for Accessibility & Usability (1 week)

Before launch:

Screen reader testing (WCAG 2.1 AA compliance)
Plain language review (8th grade reading level)
Mobile usability (60% of health searches are mobile)
Usability testing with 5-8 patients (can they find what they need?)

Metrics to Track Post-Launch

Patient engagement:

% of patients using online scheduling (vs. phone)
Patient Portal adoption rate
Bill payment completion rate online
Virtual visit uptake

Navigation effectiveness:

Search usage rate (high search = poor nav)
Top entry points (which nav items used most)
Bounce rate from homepage
Page depth to common tasks

Patient satisfaction:

Website satisfaction scores (surveys)
Call center volume (navigation-related)
Online reviews mentioning website
Task completion rates (usability testing)

Business impact:

Appointment bookings (online vs. phone)
Patient acquisition cost (organic search)
Patient retention rate
No-show rates (better communication)

Target improvements:

30-40% increase in online appointment bookings
50-60% reduction in "where do I...?" calls
25-35% increase in Patient Portal usage
20-30% improvement in patient satisfaction scores

Related Templates

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Should we test with both patients and doctors? A: Test primarily with patients (80%) and family caregivers (20%). Doctors can review for medical accuracy, but patients are the primary users.

Q: How do we handle complex specialty names? A: Use both common names and medical terms: "Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT / Otolaryngology)." Let card sort reveal which patients use.

Q: What about HIPAA compliance? A: Card sorting is for navigation, not PHI. Clearly label "Patient Portal" and "Medical Records" as secure/login-required.

Q: Should emergency and urgent care be separate top-level nav? A: Card sort will reveal this! Many patients don't know the difference. Consider "Symptoms Checker" to guide them.

Q: How do we organize 30+ specialties? A: Card sort reveals HIGH-LEVEL structure (e.g., "Primary Care," "Specialty Care," "Emergency Services"). Then apply that structure to all specialties.

Ready to Optimize Your Healthcare Website IA?

Use this template now (free) →

What you'll get:

Pre-configured healthcare card sort
Automatic patient mental model analysis
Task-based navigation insights
Export results for design team

No credit card required. 3 free studies.

Next Steps

Create free account (2 minutes)
Load healthcare template (1 click)
Customize with your services (20 minutes)
Send to 25-30 patients (2-3 days)
Identify patient priorities (3 hours)
Redesign for patient-centered care (2 weeks)
Improve patient experience (ongoing)

Start optimizing your healthcare website IA today.

Healthcare Website Information Architecture Template | Medical Website Card Sort