82% Indians prefer diagnostic centres over hospitals for preventive checkups: Report

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According to the newly published “Diagnostics vs Hospitals: Preventive Health Report 2025” by ekincare, 82% of individuals now prefer diagnostic centres for their preventive health checkups, compared to just 18% who opt for hospitals.

Diagnostic centres consistently emerge as the more trusted choice, offering quicker report delivery, fewer service issues, and a more seamless customer experience. The report shows diagnostic centres have 30% fewer report errors and deliver 71% 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% 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.

Key Highlights from the Report:

• Turnaround Time: 71% of reports from diagnostic centres are delivered within 48 hours, compared to only 47% from hospitals.
• Report Accuracy: Just 3.3% of diagnostic centre reports needed corrections, as opposed to 4.4% from hospitals—indicating 30% fewer errors.
• Customer Ratings: 81% of diagnostic centre visits received a 4-star rating or higher, versus 79% for hospitals.
• Service Issues: Customers report 56% lower instances of long wait times and 33% fewer complaints about staff behaviour at diagnostic centres.
• Geographical Insights:
  • Mumbai: 95% of preventive health appointments were fulfilled at diagnostic centres.
  • Hyderabad: Diagnostic labs outperformed hospitals with 94% better staff behaviour ratings and 74% higher hygiene scores.
  • Bengaluru: 84% of diagnostic reports were delivered within 48 hours, compared to 53% at hospitals.
  • Delhi-NCR: 87% of reports from diagnostic centres were delivered within 48 hours vs. just 38% at hospitals, with 70% fewer wait-time complaints.
  • Pune: Only 0.7% flagged poor staff behaviour at diagnostic centres, compared to 6.3% at hospitals.