Nearly 80% Delhi-NCR Patients Turn To Google After Doctor Visits: Study

Patients across Delhi-NCR are increasingly struggling to navigate India's healthcare system, often leaving consultations with unanswered questions and turning to internet for guidance, according to a study.

The study findings from the India Patient Navigation and Confusion Index (IPNCI) 2026, conducted among 1,000 respondents across Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad, revealed significant gaps in patient guidance, care coordination, and healthcare navigation.

The findings showed that 73.8 per cent of respondent patients felt rushed during doctor consultations, while 78.5 per cent searched Google or social media after their appointments due to lack of clarity regarding diagnosis, treatment plans, or next steps.

Additionally, 70 per cent of respondents reported not receiving clear guidance on where to go next for tests, diagnostics, or specialist consultations, exposing major gaps in care continuity, the study, an initiative of Pacific OneHealth Hospital in association with the Indian Medical Academy for Preventive Health (IMAPH), stated.

Saket Bansal, Founder, Pacific OneHealth Hospital, said, "The 'missing middle' in India's healthcare ecosystem is becoming increasingly visible.

Patients are directly reaching tertiary hospitals because coordinated secondary care systems remain weak or fragmented. Strengthening this layer through accessible, integrated, and community-based healthcare models can significantly reduce patient confusion, improve continuity of care, and reduce unnecessary healthcare expenditure." The study assigned Delhi-NCR an overall IPNCI score of 68.5, placing the region in the 'High Confusion, Low Navigation' category.

Among all dimensions evaluated, Care Navigation emerged as the weakest-performing pillar with a score of 44.1, highlighting significant gaps in helping patients move smoothly across different stages of care.

The findings also revealed a growing imbalance in healthcare utilization patterns. While India operates on a three-tier healthcare framework comprising primary, secondary, and tertiary care, 35.8 per cent of patients reported directly visiting private tertiary hospitals, bypassing secondary care facilities altogether.

This trend contributes to overcrowding at advanced care centres, higher healthcare costs, and increased pressure on specialist services, the report said.

Further, only 21.4 per cent of respondents reported utilizing government healthcare facilities, despite their affordability, indicating persistent concerns around accessibility, trust, and patient navigation, it said.

The report also found that 78 per cent of patients experienced difficulties coordinating care across doctors, diagnostic centres, pharmacies, and hospitals, while 72 per cent stated they had no access to navigation support services such as patient coordinators, helpdesks, helplines, or digital assistance tools.

Dr Mohsin Wali, Advisory Board Member, IMAPH, said that the findings clearly show that India's healthcare challenge is no longer only about access, but also about navigation.

"While patients are entering the system, they are often left to navigate it on their own. The lack of structured care pathways and patient support mechanisms creates confusion, delays care, increases inefficiencies, and adds avoidable costs," Wali said.

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