CMS Architecture for Healthcare

Why healthcare sites need structured content

Healthcare websites must balance marketing with patient utility. Patients need to find providers, understand services, and locate facilities quickly. A structured CMS makes this information searchable and consistent.

Recommended collections

Providers

Doctors, specialists, and practitioners:

• Name (text, required)
• Photo (image, required) — professional headshot.
• Title (text) — "MD", "DO", "NP", "PA".
• Specialty (select) — cardiology, orthopedics, primary care, etc.
• Subspecialties (multi-select) — for more specific expertise.
• Bio (rich text) — credentials, education, experience.
• Locations (multi-reference) — which facilities they practice at.
• Accepting patients (boolean) — whether they are taking new patients.
• Languages (multi-select) — English, Spanish, Mandarin, etc.
• Education (rich text) — medical school, residency, fellowships.
• Board certifications (multi-select)
• Phone (phone) — direct line.
• Booking URL (url) — online scheduling link.

Services

Medical services and specialties offered:

• Name (text, required) — e.g., "Cardiac Surgery", "Physical Therapy".
• Description (rich text)
• Category (select) — surgical, diagnostic, preventive, therapeutic.
• Conditions treated (multi-select)
• Featured image (image)
• Related providers (multi-reference) — doctors who provide this service.
• Locations (multi-reference) — where this service is available.
• Insurance accepted (multi-select)

Locations

Hospitals, clinics, urgent care centers:

• Name (text, required) — facility name.
• Address (text, required)
• Phone (phone)
• Fax (phone)
• Hours (rich text) — operating hours.
• Image (image) — facility photo.
• Facility type (select) — hospital, clinic, urgent care, imaging center.
• Services available (multi-reference) — link to services.
• Map coordinates (text) — for embedded maps.
• Parking info (text)

Patient resources

Educational content for patients:

• Title (text, required)
• Body (rich text)
• Category (select) — preparation, recovery, wellness, insurance.
• Related service (reference)
• File (file) — downloadable PDF forms or guides.
• Featured image (image)

Conditions

• Name (text, required) — e.g., "Diabetes", "Heart Disease".
• Description (rich text) — patient-friendly explanation.
• Symptoms (rich text)
• Treatments (multi-reference) — link to services.
• Related providers (multi-reference)

Key relationships

• Providers → Locations (multi-reference)
• Providers → Specialty (select)
• Services → Locations (multi-reference)
• Services → Providers (multi-reference)
• Patient resources → Services (single reference)
• Conditions → Services (multi-reference)

Tips for healthcare CMS

1. "Accepting patients" boolean is critical — patients need to know immediately if a provider has availability.
2. Multi-reference for locations — providers often practice at multiple facilities. Use multi-reference, not single.
3. Languages matter — add a multi-select languages field to every provider.
4. Insurance is complex — start with a multi-select field on services. A dedicated insurance collection is overkill for most practices.
5. Patient resources need categories — so patients can find preparation instructions vs. recovery guides vs. wellness content.