Practo This quality initiative includes thorough physical audits across 102 parameters, ensuring hospitals and clinics meet the highest standards of care, safety, and infrastructure
National, December 12, 2024: Practo, India’s largest and most trusted health services platform, has introduced Practo Assured, a verified network of high-quality hospitals and clinics designed to make it easier for patients to find and choose care providers they can trust. This growing network currently includes 300 hospitals and 1,200 doctors across 8 cities, all focused on delivering trusted, high-quality care.
With Assured, patients gain access to detailed insights into a provider’s infrastructure, safety standards, doctor expertise, and technological capabilities. At its core is its proprietary Hospital Excellence Rating (HER), a system inspired by the NABH framework that evaluates hospitals and clinics on 100+ parameters. This includes key infrastructure and facility design, equipment, hygiene measures, and insurance network among others. Establishments are selected through a rigorous process that combines data insights, patient feedback, and evaluations by Practo’s medical experts, ensuring only those meeting a 4+ rating become part of the network.
“Practo Assured is our way of creating the right incentives in healthcare by focusing on health outcomes” said Siddhartha Nihalani, Co-founder, Practo. “Hospitals that consistently deliver better quality care stand out on our platform, making it easier for patients to find trusted providers. In fact, close to 50% of establishments do not make it to the Practo Assured network because they don’t meet the stringent quality criteria. This approach not only helps patients make informed choices but also motivates healthcare providers to prioritize excellence. Quality isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s essential for sustainable success in healthcare.”
A recent Practo survey with 300 participants revealed key factors influencing patients’ choice of hospitals or clinics:
- Doctor’s experience (years in practice): 84%
- Success rate of past surgeries: 76%
- Number of similar surgeries performed by the doctor: 61%
- Cost of treatment: 60%
These insights highlight that an establishment’s reputation and detailed surgical information play a crucial role in a patient’s decision-making process.
Assured covers 15 key specialties, offering patients a clear understanding of what each provider offers. It’s not just about booking appointments—it’s about addressing concerns like trust, quality, and access to information. Biannual audits and continuous feedback loops from both patients and providers ensure that the network maintains high standards over time.
Raising Quality Standards for the Industry
Practo Assured goes beyond helping patients—it also supports hospitals and clinics in improving their quality standards thereby improving health outcomes. Providers that do not initially meet the selection criteria receive detailed feedback and a roadmap for improvement. Many take these insights, work on the recommended areas, and requalify for the network, steadily raising overall standards in the ecosystem.
“Practo Assured has enabled us to showcase the quality of our hospitals to all patients,” said Dr. Adarsh Somashekar, Pediatrician, Chairman and CEO, Ovum Woman & Child Speciality Hospital. “Practo does physical audits to show patients exactly what facilities we offer, including details like surgical equipment and insurance providers we work with—information that’s often hard to find online. This level of transparency helps patients understand what each hospital has to offer and make informed decisions for their healthcare needs. Assured not only empowers patients but also builds transparency thereby creating a more trustworthy healthcare system for everyone.”
“Practo Assured is a step toward building a healthcare system where choosing the right care provider is simpler, more transparent, and tailored to what patients truly value.” adds, Nihalani.
About Practo:
Practo is committed to improving health outcomes by enabling patients and healthcare providers to make informed decisions. The platform leverages computer science and data science to ensure that every interaction contributes to better health outcomes.
As India’s largest healthcare platform, Practo operates in 22 countries and connects over 40 crore patients with over 4,00,000 doctors and provider network across 14,500 pin codes. This expansive reach and robust infrastructure generate a staggering ₹3,000 crore of value every year, underscoring Practo’s significant impact on the global healthcare landscape.
Founded 16 years ago, Practo is recognized for its innovations in software solutions, digitizing medical practices, telemedicine, and now AI-driven tools for doctors. With 26-bit encryption, HIPAA compliance, and QAI accreditation for medical quality, Practo sets the benchmark for security and excellence in healthcare.
Its Practo Foundation furthers its mission by providing accessible healthcare, including 2,500 free cataract surgeries in the last 1.5 years.
