Innovation

DocTrue was founded in Bengaluru in 2022 by engineering graduates who personally experienced the frustration of long waiting times in clinics for short consultations. They recognized that this inefficiency was not just an inconvenience but a systemic problem in India’s healthcare delivery, where outpatient departments (OPDs) are often overcrowded, communication is fragmented, and up to 25% of patients fail to show up for their scheduled appointments. This leads to lost revenue for hospitals and delayed care for patients, directly impacting health outcomes.

The innovation of DocTrue lies in building a WhatsApp-first digital platform that transforms the patient journey before and after consultation. Patients can book appointments in just 15–20 seconds on WhatsApp, in their regional language, and immediately receive real-time updates about queue status, doctor availability, and their expected turn. This simple, familiar interface reduces anxiety, improves transparency, and ensures that patients can better plan their visits. At the same time, the system automates repetitive tasks for receptionists, provides doctors with digital prescription and reporting tools, and equips administrators with advanced analytics and 30+ customizable configurations to manage operations more efficiently.

By reducing waiting times, lowering appointment no-shows, and digitizing paper-based workflows, DocTrue directly advances SDG 3 (Good Health & Well-being) by ensuring timely access to healthcare and better continuity of care. At the same time, it supports SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure) by creating scalable, customizable health infrastructure that can be deployed in hospitals across India, from large multi-specialty centers to facilities in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. This innovation reflects how technology, when designed for inclusivity and scale, can modernize healthcare systems and create a better world.

Inspiration

The inspiration for DocTrue came from a very personal experience. While studying medical electronics at BMS College of Engineering, founder Pushkara spent months visiting a dental clinic for braces adjustments. The procedure itself took only five minutes, but the waiting time stretched into hours. Reflecting on this, he realized, “All our lives we’ve been waiting to see a doctor. That frustration was our first trigger to discover the problem more deeply.”

This everyday inefficiency sparked the team’s curiosity. They began talking directly to clinics and hospitals to validate whether this was a wider challenge. What they found was clear: waiting times and appointment no-shows were universal problems in India’s healthcare system, affecting both patients and providers. This discovery transformed a personal inconvenience into a larger mission to improve healthcare access through innovation.

However, entering the healthcare technology space was not easy. As Pushkara explained, “Healthcare in India is the hardest market in the world. It’s like 30 countries in one country, with so much diversity. You can’t just build a standard product; you have to meet doctors face-to-face and prove real value.” Despite these barriers, the founding team persisted, driven by the vision of creating a system that would reduce patient anxiety, help doctors and administrators run their practices more effectively, and modernize hospital infrastructure.

The innovation was born from empathy and lived experience: the recognition that something as simple as waiting for care could be transformed into a seamless, stress-free journey with the right use of technology.

Overall impact

DocTrue’s innovation has already shown measurable impact in hospitals and clinics where it has been deployed. In the short term, patients experience reduced anxiety and uncertainty by knowing exactly when their turn will come and whether the doctor is available. This transparency has led to a significant decrease in appointment “no-shows,” a major issue in India where nearly 25% of patients fail to attend scheduled consultations. Hospitals using DocTrue, such as Mahalakshmi Multi-Specialty Hospital in Chennai, have reported shorter waiting times, increased appointment volumes, and higher patient satisfaction. Administrators have also noted improvements in operational efficiency, as repetitive queries are automated, receptionists handle fewer calls, and turnaround times are reduced.

In the long term, the platform strengthens the digital infrastructure of healthcare delivery in India. By digitizing previously manual workflows and providing advanced analytics, DocTrue equips hospitals with data-driven insights that improve decision-making and resource allocation. Doctors receive daily reports on patient volumes, cancellations, and follow-ups, while administrators gain access to comprehensive dashboards that support continuous improvement. Over time, this innovation not only increases hospital revenues by reducing inefficiencies but also enhances patient trust and access to care.

Evidence of this impact is seen in the expansion of DocTrue’s deployments, where hospitals have requested exclusivity in their regions and invested in scaling the solution across multiple branches. With its scalable model, DocTrue has the potential to transform outpatient care in hundreds of hospitals across India, directly advancing SDG 3 (Good Health & Well-being) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure).

Business benefit

Because DocTrue focused on solving the critical problem of waiting times and appointment no-shows, hospitals and clinics quickly recognized its value, leading to strong business traction. By offering a subscription and per-booking model, DocTrue has created a recurring revenue stream that scales with patient volume. For example, a hospital with 1,000 patients a day generates significant monthly revenue through the platform, ensuring both affordability for providers and sustainability for the business. This clarity in the value proposition has enabled DocTrue to move beyond small clinics and position itself in larger hospitals, multi-specialty centers, oncology facilities, and even veterinary clinics, opening new and higher-margin markets.

The innovation also benefits DocTrue internally. With hospitals adopting the platform, the startup has been able to project growth at scale, with the ability to deploy into 300 hospitals within 12–18 months simply by expanding its sales and operations teams. Each new deployment generates more data, feedback, and opportunities to customize features, strengthening the company’s product portfolio. Hospitals have even used DocTrue as part of their marketing campaigns, highlighting the system’s role in improving patient experience—an indirect but powerful way of increasing DocTrue’s visibility and credibility in the healthcare market.

Long term, this innovation has positioned DocTrue as more than just an appointment tool. It is now seen as a strategic partner in hospital operations and patient engagement. This reputation opens opportunities for new product development, deeper integrations, and potential investment from healthcare-focused venture funds and private equity. By solving a persistent inefficiency with technology, DocTrue has not only improved healthcare delivery but also secured a path for sustainable business growth.

Social and environmental benefit

DocTrue’s innovation directly benefits society by making healthcare more accessible, efficient, and patient friendly. For patients, the ability to book and track appointments through WhatsApp in their own language reduces anxiety, confusion, and wasted time. This transparency allows families to plan their visits better, ensures timely access to doctors, and reduces the likelihood of missed care. For hospitals, fewer no-shows translate into more effective use of medical resources, higher revenues, and ultimately better continuity of treatment for the community.

The system also supports social equity by bridging gaps between large urban hospitals and smaller facilities in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Many reception staff in regional hospitals have limited formal training, yet because the system is designed around WhatsApp, adoption is simple and intuitive. This inclusivity empowers even modestly resourced hospitals to offer their patients a modern, digital-first experience, narrowing the divide between rural and urban healthcare access. In the long run, this fosters greater trust in the healthcare system and enhances overall well-being.

While DocTrue’s primary focus is on health outcomes, there is also an environmental benefit from digitizing processes that were previously paper-based. By automating queues, records, and reminders, the platform reduces paper use and reliance on manual communication, contributing in a small but meaningful way to sustainability goals. Most importantly, the social impact is seen in lives touched, patients who wait less, clinics that run more smoothly, and communities that experience healthcare as more humane, accessible, and efficient.

Interview

Pushkara RS, Co-Founder & CBO

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