From Clinics to Clicks - How Telemedicine and AI is Transforming Healthcare

For decades, healthcare services have been focused to clinics and hospitals, and in-person clinical care, where patients often travel long distances and queue for long hours to seek medical access and consultation.

Access to the appropriate and quality care is largely unequal with urban areas thrived with special and sophisticated facilities, while rural, remote, and hard to reach areas struggle with even basic facilities such as infrastructure, doctors and timely interventions.

According to WHO, India has just over 1 doctor for every 1000 people. Although, a significant disparity is found in Indian healthcare system to meet the requirements, however; since last decade, it has witnessed a digital transformation in healthcare.

Expanding internet connectivity, smartphone penetration even to hard-to-reach areas, and government backed digital initiatives such as Digital India has laid a base for virtual healthcare delivery, indicating a promising future. Thanks to COVID-19 pandemic, one positive outcome was the self-promotion of telemedicine, where both patients and healthcare providers embraced such platforms. As a result, e-Sanjeevani, a government-initiated portal has surpassed 400 million consultations by August 2025, with more than 20,000 patients served each day.

From small towns in UP to remote villages in the Northeast, and from higher ranges of Jammu and Kashmir to the plains of South India, patients can connect with their doctor of choice without leaving their homes, saving money and time on travel. So far, over 8.8 million people in Jammu and Kashmir have received the tele-consultations services. Along with telemedicine, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated into healthcare systems, providing a vital tool for diagnostics, predictive analysis, public health surveillance and trends. One such case from Karnataka, where AI has been employed for predictive analysis of disease prediction. While AI-assisted telemedicine has many advantages, it also has certain drawbacks. Misdiagnosis issues and lack of physical examination remain pressing ones.

Telemedicine should be used as a complement, and not replace in-person care. People should use only verified government platforms for care access and in-person care for any medical emergency. While there are verified government platforms covered by regulatory enablers such as Telemedicine Practice Guidelines (TPG), others, such as private ones should be registered and quality tested.

Jammu and Kashmir has not kept itself behind this digital transformation with the implementation of the JK SEHAT e-service in the healthcare system, although there is a much to be done in terms of accessibility and quality care. With the advent of this health portal, patients can not only acquire service utilisation while sitting at home but can also avoid long waiting hours and long queues.

This unique digital platform brings healthcare services closer to the people, especially those in remote areas. As a result, it empowers individuals to schedule doctor appointments and receive teleconsultation services from the comfort of their homes. At the same time, it helps reduce unnecessary hospital visits and admissions that require only minimal care, thereby reducing crowding and making hospitals more available for people who require advanced care.

“Manzoor Ahmad, a 56-year-old resident from a far-flung area in district Budgam, had to travel 60 km and skip his daily wage work to seek care and then has to wait for his turn. Now with this, I can schedule an appointment at home on my choice of day and time.”

AI is enhancing telemedicine by making care smarter. While there are many advantages and benefits of AI-assisted health services, challenges do remain. Telemedicine is beneficial through its accessibility, affordability, and efficiency. Patients in remote places can gain access to quality care easier and in a much more convenient way. Reduced travel and waiting costs make healthcare more affordable and doctors can readily consult more patients in less time.

The future of healthcare lies with a hybrid model where AI-assisted digital tools complement in-person care rather than replacing it. Genuinely, AI is not a substitute for a doctor, nor should it be. Sometimes AI-generated advice can be dangerously decontextualised. A recent case serves as a stark reminder, where a 60-year-old man was hospitalized after following diet advice generated by AI. This has raised concerns about the risks of relying on AI tools for medical advice. This incident necessitates the importance of digital literacy in ensuring that the general public treat AI tools as a source of supplementary information rather than a prescription note.

Therefore, there is a need for a regulatory process, for stronger safeguards, clearer disclaimers, and checks and balances in AI-driven health content to prevent such incidents. The Indian healthcare system is at a crossroads, with a potential future for a hybrid model. The stethoscope will not disappear, nor will the doctors. But the screen is now an integral and indispensable part of the healing process. From clinics to clicks, the transformation and change is real, and we must accept it.

“The future of medicine will be defined not just by the stethoscope on the chest, but by the digital tool in the palm”.