Surge in Online Searches for Doctors Amidst Pandemic – Justdial Consumer Insights Report
Digital Transformation Amidst Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic forced people to stay indoors and they were left with no option but to go digital. From ordering food to getting bank-related works done, almost everything has gone digital. The country has also witnessed a 33 per cent rise in online searches for doctors, according to a latest report by Justdial Consumer Insights. The reports also said that the demand for sexologists and gynaecologists has been rising steadily across India.
ENT Specialists Take the Lead
Interestingly, Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) specialists were the most searched doctors online. Sexologists and gynaecologists were also among the most searched medical practitioners on Justdial, making it to top three.
Rising Demand in Tier-I and Tier-II Cities
“The remaining of the top-10 were made up of orthopaedics, general surgeons, urologists, ayurvedic, homeopathic, gastroenterologists, and neurologists. Online searches for doctors in Tier-I cities saw a YOY jump of 25 per cent during the JFM’22 quarter and in Tier-II it shot up by 40 per cent,” the report said.
Online Healthcare Trend Explained
Commenting on the trend, Prasun Kumar, CMO, Justdial, said that more and more people are now getting online to search for doctors and other health-related services.
Leading Cities in Online Doctor Searches
Among Tier-I cities, Mumbai stayed on top when it came to searching for doctors online, followed by Delhi and Kolkata in the second and third place respectively. Patna was the top-ranked Tier-II city when it came to searching for doctors online and along with Lucknow, Jaipur, Bhopal, and Varanasi made up the top-5 with maximum searches.
ENT Specialists and Sexologists in High Demand
Demand for ENT specialists saw a demand rise of 78 per cent, the maximum among the top-10 most searched medical practitioners in India. Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai generated maximum searches among Tier-I cities and among Tier-II cities, Patna, Ranchi, Lucknow, Chandigarh, and Coimbatore were the top-5 with maximum demand for ENTs.
Sexologists saw a 28 per cent rise in demand across the country. Delhi topped with maximum searches among Tier-I cities with Mumbai and Hyderabad second and third respectively. Patna was on top in terms of demand among Tier-II cities while Indore, Surat, Gorakhpur, and Jaipur made up the top-5.
High Demand for Gynaecologists
Online searches for gynaecologists in Mumbai were 50 per cent higher vis-à-vis Delhi with Kolkata in the third place. Patna, Jaipur, Jammu, Lucknow, and Bhopal were the top-5 Tier-II cities that saw high demand for gynaecologists.
Homeopathy and Ayurveda on the Rise
Among others, homeopathy and ayurvedic practitioners saw a 9 per cent and 23 per cent rise in demand respectively across the country. Demand in Mumbai remained at par with Delhi for homeopathy and ayurvedic practitioners and the two cities contributed to 50% of the searches that took place in Tier-I cities. Among Tier-II cities, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Patna, Lucknow, Varanasi, and Nagpur saw maximum searches for homeopathy and ayurvedic practitioners.
The pandemic has acted as a catalyst for digital healthcare services, leading to a surge in online searches for doctors across India. Justdial Consumer Insights report reveals a significant increase in demand for ENT specialists, sexologists, and gynaecologists, with Mumbai and Delhi emerging as the top cities for online searches. As people continue to rely on digital platforms for healthcare solutions, the trend is likely to stay strong even after the pandemic. Access to authentic information and health services 24X7 has become a priority, making online platforms like Justdial essential resources in times of health emergencies.
