Direct-to-consumer telehealth is an online clinic for one health need, such as skin, sexual health or pregnancy, that sells consultations and its own health products straight to patients. "Direct to consumer" means that it sells to the patient directly, not through a hospital, an employer or an insurer. In India, such clinics have grown around skin and hair care, women's reproductive and sexual health, and pregnancy.
Why focus on one need? Some problems last for months and need regular follow-up, like acne or hair loss. Some are hard to talk about in a crowded clinic, like sexual health. And some need steady guidance over many months, like pregnancy. An online clinic built for one need can give a patient one doctor who follows the case, regular check-ins, and products made for that need. Patients often find these clinics through social media or a web search.
Take a 22-year-old student in Surat with acne that has lasted a year. She books an online consultation with a dermatologist, a skin specialist, for ₹499. Before the call, she uploads three photos of her face, taken in daylight. On the video call, the doctor asks about her skin care, her diet and her periods, because hormones can cause acne. The doctor prescribes a medicated cream and an antibiotic gel. These are prescription medicines, so they are supplied by a licensed online pharmacy. The doctor also suggests a gentle face wash and a sunscreen. The clinic sells both under its own brand, in its online store. After six weeks, the app asks her to upload new photos, and the doctor adjusts the treatment.
The business has two parts. The consultation is a medical service, so it must follow India's Telemedicine Practice Guidelines: only a registered doctor may advise and prescribe. The products are a shop. Many such clinics run their shop on an e-commerce platform, with a catalogue, a cart and delivery. Much of their income often comes from the products, and from treatment plans paid for in advance, such as a three-month plan.
That mix needs care. The doctor's advice should not depend on what the shop wants to sell. A prescription can be filled at any pharmacy, and the patient does not have to buy the clinic's own products.
A pregnancy service works differently. It follows the mother week by week, with exercise videos, diet plans and calls with a counsellor. A women's health clinic may connect to a device such as a home fertility monitor, which measures hormone levels at home.
How is it different from a general telemedicine app? A telemedicine app connects a patient to a doctor of any kind, for any problem, usually for one consultation. A direct-to-consumer clinic handles one need, follows the same patient for months, and sells its own products.