How Kerala’s new digital-age health care consumer is redefining medicine

Imagine the typical patient in Kerala. They're usually well-read, knowledgeable about health, and have consistently been ahead of the curve when it comes to medical awareness. That foundation has made Kerala's health system famous.

But today, something quiet yet big is happening. The patient is changing. They are now an informed, digitally savvy, and often quite worried customer of health care, all thanks to the constant glow of their smartphones. This shift, driven by endless online information and rising anxiety, is shaking up the healthcare system we once called the gold standard.

The benefit of going digital

Kerala's health success was built on two things: high literacy and excellent public hospitals. Over the last decade, the internet—social media, YouTube, blogs—has layered a new dimension into this.

Catching things early: The biggest win is that people are spotting symptoms sooner. A quick Instagram reel or a health blog post has exposed topics once kept secret. Now, people are more open to accepting depression and anxiety as real illnesses that need treatment, not just a personal weakness. Family members are stepping up to get help.

Preventative power: This alertness is also true for physical health. Kerala is a leader in early screening and prevention. Patients now show up knowing about things like the HPV vaccine or cancer screening, making the doctor's job easier.

Shifting sickness: Most diseases in Kerala (over 70 per cent) are now lifestyle-related (like heart issues or diabetes). The good news is that people are willingly getting tested (like cardiac or diabetes checks) even without obvious symptoms, just because they are aware of their family history or social knowledge.

Knowing your rights: People now firmly know their rights. They demand to know the risks, the cost of treatment, and want access to their own medical reports. They see this as a basic right, not something they have to beg for.

The 'Dr Google' Problem: Too much worry

While the digital world has made us smarter, it has also created a darker side: a lot of health anxiety.

Information overload: We are drowning in data, some true, some false. People frequently look up common body aches and immediately panic, thinking it's a major illness. They self-diagnose on Google before even talking to a doctor.

The social media effect: Younger people, especially, are seeing trends on social media and deciding they have complex conditions like ADHD or OCD. This creates fear, strains relationships, and makes doctors fight an uphill battle against the advice of a digital 'influencer.'

The wearable worry: Affordable home devices like glucometers and fitness watches mean we are always monitoring ourselves. A high sugar reading after a meal or a slight dip in blood oxygen at night can set off a midnight panic attack and an endless online search. A person with back pain, searching online, is likely to skip a simple muscle strain and jump to worrying about pancreatic cancer.

WhatsApp panic: Group chats often fuel the fire, talking only about the worst-case scenarios and spreading messages about scary ‘silent symptoms.’

Copying the West: When foreign isn't better

Another challenge is when patients blindly want to follow medical practices from Western countries. For example, some might demand that local doctors follow the exact, specific timelines used abroad for pregnancy (like waiting until 41-42 weeks), even though Kerala's doctors have established protocols.

This causes tension because foreign advice is often shared without considering our local reality—things like genetics, diet, or environment. Now, doctors must spend valuable time not just treating, but convincing the patient that the local, proven protocol is the right one for them.

A new kind of partnership

Despite the problems with fake news and misinformation, one major thing has changed: patients are no longer silent. They actively ask questions, seek second opinions, and demand to be partners in their own treatment.

This is a good thing that raises the doctor-patient relationship to a more collaborative level. The flip side is that doctors now need to be more than just healers; they have to become 'information filters', helping patients sort the facts from the online fiction.

Your phone: The new doctor's waiting room

A smartphone is now the main gateway to health care. Long before a person books an appointment, they are doing deep research:

Vetting Doctors: They check specialist doctors, look at pictures of the hospital, and read online reviews.

Pre-consultation: Many only book a visit after they have watched relevant YouTube videos from doctors explaining their condition.

The downside of distance: While telemedicine is fantastic for follow-ups, it also makes it easier to keep 'doctor-shopping'—getting multiple opinions, sometimes from different states or even countries.

Test anxiety: The rise of online lab companies offering all-in-one 'health packages' has led to more fear. People are now walking into the clinic with advanced scans, like full-body MRIs or complex heart tests, that they ordered themselves. They can’t fully understand the reports, but they demand instant interpretation and follow-up from the doctor.

Road ahead:

We can't stop the digital revolution, but we must learn to use it smartly. Here are the urgent steps:

1. Teach digital health smarts:

Start in school: We need to teach kids, from a young age, how to think critically about health information they find online.

Spot the fakes: They must learn how to recognize and filter out false information.

2. Change how doctors talk:

Training: Doctors need specific training to manage patients who arrive armed with internet data.

Simple talk: Doctors must be able to respect the patient’s concerns while translating complex science into simple, easy-to-understand language.

3. Ensure official voices are loud:

Be online: The health department and official agencies must be much more active on social media.

Fact-based info: We need a strong system to give the public evidence-based health facts directly, in simple, accessible language.

The people of Kerala have changed with the times. The next big task is to ensure that society embraces this change and uses the vast knowledge of the digital world with wisdom and caution.

( The author is an alumnus of IIM-Ahmedabad and the CEO of Starcare Hospital- Kozhikode)

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.