All public healthcare entities:
-> Publicly funded hospitals
-> Primary Healthcare Centers (POZ)
-> Specialized clinics
-> Consultation centers
-> National Health Fund (NFZ) and its branches
-> Sanitary-epidemiological stations
Private clinics and practices offering online registration?
-> If you provide services under an NFZ contract or perform public tasks – you must act. There’s no time to lose! The new guidelines apply to you too.
Legal issues and financial penalties:
-> A fine of PLN 10,000 for lack of digital accessibility
-> A fine of PLN 5,000 for lack of an accessibility declaration
-> Legal proceedings for discrimination against people with disabilities (Art. 138a of the Penal Code)
-> Reports to the State Fund for Rehabilitation of Disabled People (PFRON)
But these are by no means the most serious consequences:
-> Loss of patient trust – patients have the right to report difficulties in using the website – and the facility has 30 days to respond and fix the flaws.
We have been working with the medical industry for years. We see the same pattern:
A beautiful logo, but a website from 2012.
The hospital has history, reputation, and great doctors – but the website looks like it was created before smartphones became the standard. Non-responsive, unreadable on mobile, and dysfunctional for people with disabilities.
The patient simply cannot book an appointment.
-> Registration only by phone (line busy from 8:00 to 8:45 AM, then no one picks up).
-> No e-registration system. No information about available dates
-> No information about available dates.
-> No option to check results online.
-> Contact info hidden in the footer, outdated office hours.
-> Specializations and services hidden behind 10 clicks.
The website excludes patients.
Every fifth Pole is over 65 years old. Many of them have vision, hearing, or motor impairments. 8 million Poles live with various types of disabilities.
The most common non-compliance issues:
-> Text contrast too low – elderly people cannot see the content.
-> Lack of alternative text for images – blind people don’t know what is in the photo.
-> No keyboard navigation support – people with motor impairments cannot navigate.
-> Complex forms without clear messages – people with cognitive impairments get lost.
Some patients don’t have access to healthcare. Not because they don’t want to – but because your website makes it impossible for them.
A PLN 10,000 fine is just the beginning. A patient who cannot register via the website due to a lack of accessibility can report this as discrimination. This leads to court proceedings, negative PR, and a ruined reputation on social media.
Now:
-> 70% of internet users look for a doctor or clinic on Google
-> The majority use smartphones
-> People want to book online – without waiting in line at the reception, without dialing the number 50 times
What a good website provides:
-> 24/7 e-registration
-> Checking available dates
-> Access to test results online
-> Clear information about location, hours, and specializations
If the website works well, the patient doesn’t call to ask “where are you” or “what are your hours.” They call to say, “I want to book an orthopedic consultation.” The receptionist doesn’t have to repeat the same thing 100 times a day. They can focus on more complex tasks.
Digital accessibility is not just a legal obligation – it’s a message: “We care about every patient, regardless of their abilities.”
A hospital with an accessible website shows that it:
-> Thinks about the needs of all patients
-> Is modern and open to change
-> Takes access to healthcare seriously
A WCAG-compliant website is a website that Google indexes better:
-> Alternative texts for images
-> Correct header structure
-> Fast loading times
-> Responsiveness
-> Clear forms
-> An accessible website = a visible website
The patient wants to know:
-> What specializations are available
-> What the office hours are
-> How to book an appointment
-> Where you are (map, directions)
-> How much a private visit costs
But the website shows:
-> Generalities about “comprehensive care”
-> Stock photos of doctors (not yours)
-> No specifics
-> 5 different menus, each leading somewhere else
-> “Services” hidden in the “About Us” section
-> Contact details only in the footer
-> No search bar
The patient gets lost and leaves. They go to the competition.
-> Low contrast (light shades of gray on a white background)
-> Lack of alternative texts
-> No keyboard navigation support
-> Forms without clear error messages
-> Non-responsive (doesn’t work on mobile phones)
This is not a “nice to have.” This is digital exclusion and a violation of the law.
-> Flash (hasn’t worked for years)
-> Non-responsive (since 2015, the majority of traffic has been mobile)
-> Slow loading times -> Incompatible with Safari/Chrome/Firefox
A patient will not wait 10 seconds for a page to load. They will close the tab and go somewhere else.
Before we begin improving a website in the medical industry – or any other industry – we conduct a comprehensive audit of the current site.
We check:
-> Whether the website meets WCAG 2.1 AA (it almost certainly doesn’t)
-> What the most important patient problems are
-> What works and what doesn’t
-> What you need (e-registration? online results? content management system?)
Every website we build is coded from scratch with accessibility in mind:
-> Proper semantic HTML structure
-> Alternative texts for all images
-> Appropriate color contrasts (minimum 4.5:1)
-> Keyboard support (everything can be done without a mouse)
-> Clear forms with straightforward error messages
-> Responsiveness – works on phones, tablets, and computers
-> Screen readers can read the entire website
We don’t add WCAG “at the end.” We build with WCAG from the start.
This is a legal requirement for public institutions. We create a declaration that:
-> Informs about the level of WCAG compliance
-> Provides contact details of the person in charge
-> Shows alternative contact methods (phone, PJM sign language interpreter assistance)
-> Is placed in a visible location (website footer)
-> Is updated at least once a year
We know that hospitals and clinics rarely have professional photos. We provide:
-> Photo sessions on-site (consultation rooms, waiting areas, staff, equipment)
-> Photos of the medical team (real doctors, not stock photos)
-> Video presenting the facility (for patients visiting for the first time)
The result?
Materials that you can use on your website, in social media, and in printed marketing materials.
A website is not a “set it and forget it” project. A website is a tool that:
-> Requires content updates (new doctors, changing hours, new services)
-> Requires security monitoring (attacks, vulnerabilities, updates)
-> Requires adaptation to changing regulations
We provide:
-> Hosting and technical support
-> Regular system updates
-> Performance monitoring and loading speed optimization
-> Assistance with adding content
-> Accessibility audits after every major change
-> Support in managing e-registration
-> A website that works and can be easily edited by you in its entirety
For nearly 10 years, we have been helping companies build consistent brands – those that do not suffer from a split personality.
We are glad to see more and more medical facilities that don’t want to suffer from a split personality either. We know exactly what the industry’s real problem looks like.
A beautiful logo, but a tragic website.
Excellent medical care, but the patient cannot register online.
Professional consultation rooms, but promotional materials that look like they belong to a different clinic.
At Fluostudio, we combine what others separate:
-> +29% average increase in conversion rate
-> +35% increase in customer retention
We don’t do things “just for looks.” We create brands that are logical, consistent, and memorable.
If you have a website that:
-> Was created several years ago and hasn’t been updated since
-> Is not responsive (doesn’t work on phones)
-> Does not have e-registration
-> Does not meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards
-> Does not have an accessibility declaration
Then you don’t have a website. You have a problem – and you are exposing yourself to fines.
We can solve it.
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