NEW DELHI: In an increasingly digital-first healthcare environment, more patients are turning to online searches, home remedies, and AI-driven tools to self-diagnose and make treatment decisions, experts said here Wednesday.
This trend is a key driver of delayed medical care and rising health risks, they added.
Incomplete or misinterpreted information often leads individuals to delay professional consultation or opt for inappropriate treatment pathways, they added.
Vineet Aggarwal, Group COO, Paras Health, said, “India’s healthcare system has traditionally been reactive, with patients often seeking medical attention only after symptoms become severe. This often leads to late-stage diagnosis, reducing the chances of successful treatment and significantly increasing healthcare costs for families.”
The growing reliance on incomplete or partial information is not without consequences. When health decisions are based on unverified inputs, critical symptoms are often overlooked or underestimated, allowing conditions to progress silently, the doctors said.
They emphasised that timely intervention by qualified medical professionals remains essential, particularly for serious and chronic diseases.
Quoting recent data from National Family Health Survey-5, ICMR, and The Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia, which highlighted major gaps in early detection across India, they said, only 1.9% of women have undergone cervical cancer screening, and 0.9% each for breast and oral cancer.
This, they said, reflects extremely low screening coverage.
India ranks third globally in new cancer cases, and also records a high mortality rate, with nearly three out of five diagnosed patients dying from the disease, giving India an incidence-to-mortality ratio of 65%.
Studies further indicate that a majority of cancers in India are diagnosed at advanced stages, with diagnostic delays often ranging from six to twelve months after the onset of symptoms.
The ICMR has projected that India’s cancer burden will increase from 1.39 million cases in 2020 to 1.57 million cases till 2025.
Similar late diagnosis trends are seen across other non-communicable diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, and cardiac conditions, where delayed detection significantly affects long-term health outcomes.
Access to information does not always translate into accurate understanding, experts said.
Over-reliance on fragmented or context-free inputs can lead to confusion, delayed consultations, and incorrect self-management. Healthcare decisions require clinical judgment and experience, and depending solely on partial information can pose significant risks.
The doctors urged individuals, healthcare providers, and policymakers to prioritise preventive healthcare and institutionalise regular screening protocols, emphasizing that early detection remains one of the most effective ways to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases and improve health outcomes in India.