Healthcare is steadily moving beyond the narrow lens of treatment delivery toward a more integrated model built on access, continuity, and trust across the patient journey. In India, this shift is being enabled by digital public infrastructure. Under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), over 79 crore digital health IDs and 65 crore linked records, supported by a growing network of providers, are laying the foundation for an interoperable, nationwide health ecosystem where data, providers, and services are increasingly connected. (Source: Economic Times Healthworld)
At the same time, the broader digital health landscape is expanding at an unprecedented pace. Globally, the market is projected to grow from approximately $483 billion in 2026, growing at a strong CAGR of 10.8% from 2026 to 2035, driven by rising chronic disease burdens, the rapid adoption of telehealth, and increasing reliance on AI-enabled care delivery. (Source: GlobeNewswire)
India mirrors this acceleration, but with a distinctly structural push. The country’s digital health market, valued at around $14.5 billion in 2024, is expected to scale to over USD 106.97 billion by 2033, growing at a strong pace as telemedicine, remote monitoring, and interoperable health systems become mainstream. (Source: Grand View Research)
Globally and locally, the direction is clear: healthcare is no longer episodic, but continuous and digitally enabled. Patients now expect seamless, multi-channel engagement across apps, messaging platforms, and virtual consultations, where timely, personalised communication can directly improve satisfaction and adherence.
From Access to Engagement
Digital access has opened the door to better healthcare, but access alone is no longer enough. The bigger shift is from episodic care to continuous engagement, where the patient journey extends beyond the clinic and into daily life. That matters because engagement directly affects whether people follow treatment plans, return for follow-ups, and stay connected to care.
The data makes the case clearly. In one adherence study, 12-month adherence ranged from 72% for oral antidiabetics to 37% for prostaglandin analogs, showing how quickly treatment continuity can break down without sustained support. (Source: JMCP) Another study found that only 39.9% of patients with diabetes remained persistently adherent, while 20.6% were nonadherent. (Source: AJMC)At the same time, the CDC notes that stronger patient activation is linked to better outcomes and lower costs over time. The message is simple: healthcare is no longer about being reachable; it is about staying engaged. (Source: CDC Health Literacy)
Where the Gap Remains
Despite strong digital foundations, the translation from access to experience remains uneven. Evidence shows that while digital systems are expanding rapidly, their impact on patient experience is inconsistent, with 57% of studies reporting improvements with electronic records and 43% showing no meaningful change, while some systems even cause short-term declines in patient experience after implementation. (Source: Journal of Medical Internet Research)
A key challenge lies in activation. Across health systems, data remains fragmented and difficult to exchange seamlessly, limiting continuity of care and real-time engagement. At the same time, research highlights that the value of digital health depends not on data availability but on how effectively it is integrated into care pathways and patient communication. (Source: McKinsey Health Institute)Compounding this, global analyses point to persistent gaps in adoption, capability, and scale, reinforcing that infrastructure alone cannot deliver outcomes. In effect, while the rails for digital healthcare are being laid, the experience layer is still evolving. (Source: OECD)
Turning Infrastructure Into Experience
The real opportunity in healthcare is no longer just expanding digital access, but making it seamless, intuitive, and continuous. As infrastructure matures, the focus is shifting toward how effectively it translates into real patient experiences by simplifying journeys, enabling consistency, and supporting engagement beyond isolated interactions.
This is where new-age healthcare players like Healthians are beginning to make a measurable difference. It offers a clear example of how healthcare is moving from access to experience.
As Healthians’ founder, Mr. Deepak Sahni also notes, “The idea behind Healthians was simple: help people stay informed early enough so they do not have to land in a hospital later.” (Source: Nitin Joshi Notes’ interview with Deepak Sahni)
By combining at-home diagnostics with digital booking, doorstep sample collection, and fast, technology-enabled reporting, it reduces friction across key stages of the patient journey. What makes this model relevant is its focus on preventive health and accessibility at scale. With a presence across 250+ cities and a growing network of labs and service providers, it brings diagnostic services closer to patients, particularly those who may otherwise delay care.
In this context, the value lies not just in digitising services, but in simplifying how patients access and navigate them. This shift, from isolated testing to more accessible, continuous engagement, reflects the broader direction in which digital healthcare is evolving.
The Next Phase
As healthcare continues to digitize, access alone will no longer be a differentiator. The real shift lies in how effectively systems translate that access into continuous, meaningful patient engagement.
The next phase of digital health will be defined by experiences that are not only connected but also intuitive, timely, and patient-centric. That requires aligning data, communication, and care delivery into a cohesive journey rather than isolated touchpoints.
Ultimately, the organisations that succeed will be those that move beyond enabling care to actively guiding patients through it, turning infrastructure into impact, and access into lasting trust.
