Is India Shifting from Doctor-Led to Brand-Driven Healthcare?
By Arunima Rajan
In conversation with Arunima Rajan, Dr Pawan Kumar, Director and CEO of Livasa Hospitals, highlights how India's conventional reliance on celebrity doctors as brand ambassadors is now being reshaped by institutional branding, driven largely by venture capital investments.
Healthcare, traditionally, revolved around a personal equation between doctors and patients. Today, though, healthcare brands seem larger than individual doctors. How has the branding dynamic shifted in your experience, and is this change a net positive?
The shift from personal doctor-patient relationships to a more brand-centric approach in healthcare reflects broader societal changes. While individual doctors still play a crucial role, healthcare brands now embody trust, quality, and innovation. This change can be seen as a net positive, as it allows for standardized care and broader outreach. However, it’s essential to maintain the personal touch, ensuring that patients feel valued and understood. Balancing brand identity with individual care is key to fostering lasting relationships in this evolving landscape.
In India, historically, successful healthcare institutions have often been anchored by celebrity doctors. But with VC money pouring into healthcare, is the traditional, doctor-centric branding model slowly losing relevance? What are you noticing on the ground?
Dr Pawan Kumar, Director and CEO, Livasa Hospitals
In India, the traditional model of celebrity doctors has long been a cornerstone of successful healthcare institutions. However, the recent influx of venture capital into the healthcare sector is reshaping this landscape in a positive way. While celebrity doctors continue to attract patients with their expertise and reputation, the significant investments are enhancing healthcare infrastructure and services, leading to a more robust and reliable healthcare ecosystem.
This shift is fostering a new focus on institutional branding, where established healthcare brands are gaining credibility and trust among patients. As a result, we are witnessing a harmonious blend of both models on the ground. Further, this influx of VC money enables to bring good quality clinical care to many lesser penetrated tier2 and tier 3 cities of this country. Patients still appreciate the personal touch and expertise of renowned doctors, but they are increasingly drawn to the comprehensive care and advanced facilities that well-funded healthcare institutions can offer.
The infusion of venture capital is not only improving the quality of care but also driving innovation in medical technology and patient services. This investment is enabling healthcare providers to adopt cutting-edge practices and expand their reach, ultimately benefiting patients. By combining the personal connection of celebrity doctors with the reliability of institutional branding, the healthcare sector is evolving into a more patient-centered environment, ensuring that individuals receive the best possible care in a trustworthy setting.
Patients once trusted doctors implicitly. Now, they're armed with Google reviews and social media feedback. How has this shift influenced your hospital's approach to patient interactions and brand positioning?
The rise of online reviews and social media has transformed patient interactions significantly. Patients are now more informed and discerning, often researching their healthcare options before making decisions. Voice of customer is often used as a best surrogate for quality and
outcomes. This becomes important especially in the context of India where there are no outcome benchmarks being publicly published by different hospitals. So, a customer uses the social media and online feedbacks to gather information about the hospital and the doctor. Effective communication during public health emergencies remains crucial, as demonstrated by the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clear, timely messaging tailored to cultural contexts is essential for effective public health communication. While social media offers opportunities for health campaigns, it also presents challenges such as misinformation and patient confidentiality.
In response, our hospital has adopted a proactive approach to patient engagement, emphasizing transparency and open communication. We encourage feedback and actively manage our online presence to ensure that our brand reflects the quality of care we provide. This shift has not only enhanced our brand positioning but also fostered a culture of trust and accountability.
Social media has democratised brand perception. But healthcare is fundamentally nuanced how do you strike a balance between being responsive to social media trends and maintaining medical authenticity?
Social media has indeed democratized brand perception, but it also presents challenges in maintaining medical authenticity. At Livasa Hospitals, we strive to engage with our audience on social platforms while ensuring that our messaging is rooted in clinical evidence and ethical practices. We focus on sharing educational content, patient success stories, and expert insights, which helps us stay relevant without compromising our medical integrity. This balance is crucial in building a trustworthy brand that resonates with both patients and the broader community. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a reputation as a responsible healthcare provider. At Livasa Hospitals, we are committed to delivering the highest standard of care to every patient we treat, ensuring complete transparency, integrity, and adherence to medical ethics. This systematic approach is key to establishing our reputation as a credible and responsible provider. Brand perception is an outcome of sustained efforts with relentless focus on certain attributes over and over again.
Google reviews are simultaneously helpful and deceptive. How do you, as a hospital CEO, ensure reviews remain credible? Can healthcare institutions even control their online narratives anymore?
Managing online reviews is a complex task, as they can be both beneficial and misleading. We prioritise transparency and encourage patients to share their experiences honestly. A robust communications framework is more critical than ever. One crucial aspect is the customisation of messages; there is no "one size fits all" approach. Communicators must engage with diverse audiences across various demographics, tailoring messages to address specific needs and local concerns. As we move toward a future where healthcare is a central topic of discussion, one vital element is often overlooked: the need to humanize healthcare communications. It is essential to view the relationship between patients and service providers through a compassionate lens. An emotion-driven approach is necessary to help patients grasp medical concepts and understand how these can positively impact their lives.
We actively monitor reviews and respond to feedback, addressing concerns promptly. While we cannot control every narrative, we can influence perceptions by consistently delivering high-quality care and fostering positive patient experiences. Building a culture of accountability and responsiveness helps us maintain credibility in an increasingly digital landscape.
Given India's inherent scepticism about commercialised healthcare, how challenging is it to build and sustain a trusted healthcare brand today, especially when backed by venture capital?
Given India's inherent hesitation about commercialised healthcare, it is important to communicate one’s vision and intent with honesty and transparency. Unlike the general perception about commercialization and fusing of venture capital, our approach and intent has always been different. We focus on building relationships through community engagement, transparent communication, and high-quality care. In this light, the investment of Rs 525 crore made by IndiaRF in September 2023 stands as a testament to their confidence in our brand and represents a pivotal moment for us. This investment not only underscores the importance of expanding healthcare capacity but also aligns with the trend of increasing insurance penetration, which has further accelerated the demand for localized healthcare solutions. By demonstrating our commitment to patient welfare and ethical practices, we aim to bridge the gap between commercial interests and patient trust, ensuring that our brand resonates positively with the community. Our transformation, supported by IndiaRF, addresses historical underinvestment in the healthcare sector while capitalizing on Punjab’s demand-supply gap for quality healthcare.
Has the influx of external funding and professional management diluted the 'personal touch' traditionally associated with Indian hospitals? Or has it perhaps improved patient experience and trust in unexpected ways?
The influx of external funding and professional management has certainly changed the landscape of Indian healthcare. While some may argue that this has diluted the personal touch, I believe it has the potential to enhance patient experience. Professional management can streamline operations, improve service delivery, and ensure consistency in care. However, it’s crucial to retain the human element in healthcare. By training staff to prioritize empathy and patient-centered care, we can combine the best of both worlds, fostering trust and satisfaction.
We are a prime example of that. Formerly known as Ivy Hospitals, Livasa Hospitals has transformed into Punjab’s largest multi-specialty hospital network following a strategic investment by the India Resurgence Fund (IndiaRF). This rebranding not only revitalised the institution's identity—symbolizing vitality ("Live") and hope ("Asha")—but also addressed historical financial constraints and an over-reliance on government contracts, which previously accounted for a significant portion of its revenue. The investment by IndiaRF has helped Livasa with extensive infrastructure upgrades, expansion of medical specialties, and optimization of operations to enhance patient care. Key initiatives include establishing specialised Centers of Excellence (CoEs), , integrating advanced technology for improved patient experiences, and introducing the Golden Age Senior Citizen’s Privilege Card. With a commitment to oncology and transplant excellence, Livasa has achieved significant milestones, including over 1,200 successful kidney transplants. As it aims to increase its bed capacity to over 2,000 and expand its reach beyond Punjab, Livasa remains dedicated to providing high-quality, accessible healthcare while maintaining a strong focus on community impact and patient satisfaction.
From your vantage point, do patients still trust their doctors as deeply as they used to or is branding now compensating for a gradual erosion of trust in individual physicians?
While branding has become increasingly important in healthcare, I believe that patients still value their relationships with individual doctors. However, there is a noticeable shift; branding often compensates for a gradual erosion of trust in some cases. Patients are more likely to seek out institutions with strong reputations, which can overshadow individual physicians. To counter this, we focus on empowering our doctors to build personal connections with patients, ensuring that the human element remains at the forefront of our care model.
As we move forward, the future of healthcare communications in India will follow the HEALTH framework: Harnessing digital innovation, Empowering global collaboration, Advancing comprehensive healthcare themes, Leveraging AI for transformative healthcare, and Targeting sustainable healthcare systems. This multifaceted strategy will address the complexities of healthcare communications and propel the sector toward a resilient future.
What role does transparency, both clinical and financial, play in brand-building today? Is openness about outcomes, pricing, and processes more important now than ever before?
Transparency in clinical and financial matters is paramount in today’s healthcare landscape. Patients are more informed and expect openness regarding outcomes, pricing, and processes. The healthcare sector faces unique communication challenges that require a deep understanding of regulations, ethical considerations, and the importance of transparency. Transparency and ethical communication are crucial for building trust, requiring accurate and well-supported data. In times of crisis, immediate acknowledgment of issues is essential, and a unified communication strategy involving all stakeholders prevents mixed messages. Maintaining transparency through regular updates and focusing on post-crisis reassurance are critical for restoring trust. Overall, successful healthcare communications hinge on a combination of regulatory knowledge, ethical practices, and the ability to build trust through empathy and transparency.
At Livasa Hospitals, we prioritize transparency as a core value, providing clear information about treatment options, costs, and expected outcomes. As an example of transparency, we monitor internally the difference between bill estimates given to patient and final bill as a key KPI of our transparency and quality matrix. The understanding that every patient who lands at our doors, lands with some problem and are anxious about it. This is one of a life event for them and treating them with respect, empathy and transparency is the least we could do. This openness not only builds trust but also empowers patients to make informed decisions about their healthcare. In an era where information is readily available, being transparent is not just beneficial; it’s essential for brand-building.
Finally, looking ahead ten years from now, do you think hospital branding in India will move further toward standardised, corporate-driven approaches, or will there always remain room for individual personalities the charismatic doctor—to dominate the healthcare narrative?
In ten years, hospital branding in India is likely to be a blend of standardised, corporate-driven approaches and the enduring influence of individual doctors. As healthcare institutions increasingly adopt corporate strategies for efficiency and consistency, the personal touch provided by charismatic doctors will remain vital for building trust and
patient relationships. In ten years, hospital branding in India is likely to be a blend of standardized, corporate-driven approaches and the enduring influence of individual doctors which remains vital for building trust and patient relationships. Balancing these elements will be key to successful branding in the evolving healthcare landscape. The integration of technology and data-driven insights will further enhance patient engagement, allowing hospitals to tailor their services while maintaining the human connection that patients value.
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