Using behavioural science to improve patient outcomes in healthcare

When it comes to health, knowledge isn’t always power. Patients often know what they should do – take medication, attend appointments, make lifestyle changes – but still struggle to follow through.

Behavioural science helps us understand why.

By uncovering the psychological and environmental factors that shape behaviour, it provides tools to bridge the gap between good intentions and real-world actions. For healthcare teams, this means designing interventions, services, and experiences that truly support patients – not just inform them.

‍

The challenge of behaviour change in healthcare

Healthcare is full of complex decisions. Patients are asked to process large amounts of information, make high-stakes choices, and stick to long-term routines – often while under stress or in pain.

Even with the best intentions, behaviour change can be hard. This is known as the intention-action gap, and it’s where many health interventions fall short. Simply educating patients isn’t enough. We need to understand how people actually behave and what stops them from acting.

Behavioural science gives us that lens.

‍

Designing for real people

Instead of expecting patients to behave like ideal users, behavioural science encourages us to design systems that work with human behaviour.

That could mean:

• Simplifying choices to reduce overwhelm
• Using nudges and reminders to encourage adherence
• Framing information in a way that supports understanding
• Setting up environments that make healthy actions easier

These small changes, grounded in behavioural principles, can lead to measurable improvements in outcomes.

‍

Behavioural strategies in action

Across the health sector, behavioural insights are helping teams:

• Improve medication adherence by introducing smart packaging, refill reminders, and simplified regimens.
• Increase vaccination rates by adjusting appointment defaults and sending timely prompts.
• Support chronic disease management with apps that use daily nudges and habit tracking.
• Enhance patient communication by simplifying language and using visual decision aids.

In each case, the goal isn’t just to share information – it’s to influence outcomes.

‍

From systems to services

Behavioural science isn’t just about the patient. It can also improve how services are delivered.

Clinician workflows, hospital signage, digital tools – all of these benefit from behavioural design. Reducing decision fatigue, improving wayfinding, and designing interfaces that match real-world behaviour help both staff and patients navigate care more effectively.

Better health outcomes don’t start with more information – they start with better design. By understanding the real factors that drive behaviour, we can create health systems and products that support people to act in their best interest.

At nuom, we help healthcare teams integrate behavioural science into the way they design services, tools, and experiences. Because when care meets people where they are, outcomes improve.

Curious how behavioural insights could shape your next health innovation? Let’s talk.

‍