How a Telehealth App Cut Senior Drop‑Off 38 % with Voice‑First UX

How a Telehealth App Cut Senior Drop‑Off 38 % with Voice‑First UX

Standard app interfaces present difficulties to older adults because they contain small buttons and confusing labels and disorganized menus.

A telehealth startup began working with Boosta during early 2025 to address a critical issue where senior users abandoned their basic telehealth appointment bookings at a rate of 38%.

The breakthrough? Voice-first UX.

Here’s how we helped them reduce senior drop-off and boost confidence with a hands-free, intuitive interface.

The Problem — Seniors Were Leaving the App Too Soon

The initial onboarding flow required:

• Typing in symptoms
• Choosing appointment types from dense dropdowns
• Navigating multi-step forms with small text

For younger users, the flow worked fine.

But seniors—especially those over 65—struggled.

Common issues included:

• Tapping wrong buttons
• Abandoning halfway due to confusion
• Needing caregiver assistance

Analytics showed that most drop-offs occurred before step 3 in the original flow.

The Voice-First Hypothesis

We asked:

What if we treated the app more like a conversation than a form?

Instead of text input and dropdowns, we tested:

• Speech-based symptom entry
• Natural-language prompts
• Voice feedback confirming each step
• Large touch zones only as secondary support

The idea: reduce friction through conversational UX.

Testing the Voice-First Prototype

We ran a controlled usability test with 24 senior participants, split evenly:

• 12 used the original app flow
• 12 used the voice-first prototype

Completion Rate:

• Original: 50%
• Voice-First: 88%

User Feedback:

• “It felt like I was talking to someone.”
• “I didn’t have to ask my daughter for help.”
• “I finally feel like this app is made for me.”

Post-Launch Results

After rolling out the voice-first experience to all users 65+, results were clear:

• Drop-off decreased by 38%
• Satisfaction score increased by 52%
• Support tickets from seniors dropped 41%

And most importantly:

More appointments were completed—without caregiver intervention.

Why Voice-First Works for Older Adults

Voice-first design serves actual needs beyond its current popularity status:

• The design approach reduces mental effort for users.
• The system eliminates the need for precise hand movements.
• The interface provides a natural experience for users who are not familiar with digital technology.

The essential element for voice-first design involves contextual voice guidance instead of voice input.

The senior population shows positive responses when they receive guidance instead of feeling overwhelmed.

How Boosta Helps You Implement It

At Boosta, we specialize in accessibility-driven CRO.

In this case, our team helped with:

• User interviews with older adults
• Designing the conversational UX flow
• A/B testing voice vs traditional input
• The integration of accessibility best practices (WCAG for screen readers) should be implemented.

We approach UX as more than design because it represents real-world empathy.

Conclusion

The telehealth app achieved more than drop-off reduction through Voice-first UX.

The platform re-established contact with users who were previously overlooked.

Older users who use your product will experience higher engagement and conversion rates when you switch from touch input to voice commands.

Simplicity stands as the winner in our complex digital world because it uses language that users understand.