Vitalis · Health Tech · Berlin
A patient portal that turns anxiety into clarity
Vitalis needed a calm, accessible experience for patients managing chronic care. We rebuilt their portal with progressive disclosure, WCAG AAA contrast, and empathetic microcopy.
+0%
Patient engagement
0 min
Avg. task time
Performance at a glance
Before vs After
Key metrics at launch vs. post-launch
Care tasks completed
Share of measured outcomes
- Medication35%
- Lab results28%
- Appointments22%
- Symptoms15%
Growth trajectory
Weekly active patients (%)
The Challenge
Vitalis provides chronic care management for patients with diabetes, hypertension, and heart conditions across Germany. Their existing patient portal was functional but anxiety-inducing — clinical language, dense forms, and alert-heavy interfaces that made patients feel like they were using hospital software rather than a care companion.
Accessibility wasn't a nice-to-have. Vitalis serves a patient population with varying visual acuity, motor limitations, and cognitive load sensitivity. The previous portal met WCAG AA in audits but failed in real-world usability testing with elderly patients.
Pain points severity (pre-project)
User research & stakeholder interviews
Our Approach
Discover
We conducted contextual interviews with 18 patients and 6 care coordinators in Berlin clinics. The insight that shaped everything: patients don't want more data — they want clarity about what to do next.
Design
Progressive disclosure became the core pattern. Complex medical workflows (medication adjustments, lab result reviews, appointment scheduling) were broken into single-focus screens with empathetic microcopy written in partnership with Vitalis's clinical team — never dumbing down, but always orienting.
Build
Progressive disclosure became the core pattern. Complex medical workflows (medication adjustments, lab result reviews, appointment scheduling) were broken into single-focus screens with empathetic microcopy written in partnership with Vitalis's clinical team — never dumbing down, but always orienting.
Launch
Progressive disclosure became the core pattern. Complex medical workflows (medication adjustments, lab result reviews, appointment scheduling) were broken into single-focus screens with empathetic microcopy written in partnership with Vitalis's clinical team — never dumbing down, but always orienting.
What We Built
A patient portal redesign with WCAG AAA contrast ratios, large touch targets (48px minimum), and a reading level calibrated to grade 8 German — verified by clinical content reviewers.
A "Today's Focus" home screen showing one primary action (take medication, log symptoms, review lab results) rather than a dashboard of everything.
Medication management with visual timelines, refill reminders, and plain-language explanations of dosage changes — reducing calls to care coordinators.
A provider-facing summary view so care teams see the same simplified narrative patients see, improving consultation efficiency.
Results & Impact
Patient engagement rose 52% — measured by weekly active users completing at least one care task. Average task completion time dropped to 3.2 minutes (from 8.7 minutes on the legacy portal).
Care coordinator call volume related to portal confusion dropped 45%. Vitalis is now piloting the design system across their clinician dashboard and mobile app.