82 per cent of individuals now prefer diagnostic centres for their preventive health checkups, compared to just 18 per cent who opt for hospitals, according to the latest report titled “Diagnostics vs Hospitals: Preventive Health Report 2025” by ekincare.

The report shows diagnostic centres have 30 per cent fewer report errors and deliver 71 per cent of results within 48 hours significantly faster than hospitals, which deliver only 47% within the same time period.

The study draws on appointment and ratings data across India’s top five metros; Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Pune, and Hyderabad, representing 75 per cent of the country’s diagnostic volumes. It offers a comparative view of customer satisfaction, accuracy, speed, and service quality between diagnostic centres and hospitals for services such as annual checkups, pre-employment screenings, and lab tests.

“What we’re seeing is a structural shift in how preventive healthcare is being delivered and consumed in India,” said Kiran Kalakuntla, CEO and Founder, ekincare.

“The modern health-seeker values speed, transparency, and control and diagnostic centres are meeting those expectations more consistently than hospitals. This data is a wake-up call for how India’s preventive healthcare ecosystem must evolve,” he added.