Websites & patient experience · Practical guide

Make related choices recognisable as a group

A group of choices may be built from unrelated text blocks and decorative bullets. Assistive technology then loses the useful indication that these items belong to one collection.

Healthcare website and appointment calendar displayed on devices at an empty clinic reception.
Make the website useful for the people who use your practice.

What to change

Ask your supplier to preserve the meaningful grouping of service options or preparation steps for people using reading software, as well as in the visual layout.

A worked example

Illustrative example

A visitor exploring four contact routes can recognise them as one list and move between individual options without mistaking them for unrelated sections.

Healthcare website design showing connected desktop and mobile service and enquiry layouts.
Make the service and next step clear on every screen.
Healthcare website accessibility illustrated by a focus outline, keyboard key, contrast samples and form.
Review keyboard access, contrast and understandable form fields.

Why this matters to your practice

A recognisable list helps people understand both the number of choices and where one choice ends. This is useful for contact methods, preparation instructions and related services. Ask your supplier to show how those collections sound when read aloud by software. You should be able to hear the same grouping that appears on screen. Avoid turning every decorative line into a list item; use this structure where it helps visitors understand a real set of options or steps.

How to check the result

Accept when collections expose their meaningful grouping and order, with no extra empty items or decorative content announced as options.

A mistake to avoid

Using list structure for every row of page decoration can create needless verbosity where no real collection exists.

Turn reading into a next step

Your action checklist

Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.

Checks to discuss

Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.

Use project decisions only, without personal, patient or confidential details. Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Copy or download before leaving; this page does not save your notes.

Further reading

These sources provide background for the topic. The practice examples and checklist are illustrative planning suggestions from Kay & Co.

Related guides

Need help with this?

Tell us what is getting in the way. Kay & Co. can help you understand the options and turn the next step into something that works for your practice.

Explore websites & patient experience services or discuss your project.

Try the free Healthcare Digital Planner to find your starting priority.