THIP and Indian Society of Lifestyle Medicine collaborate to strengthen patient education in India

New Delhi: As India witnesses a rapid rise in obesity, diabetes, fatty liver disease, PCOD and other lifestyle-related disorders, healthcare experts are increasingly recognising that medicines alone are often not enough. 

Long-term outcomes depend equally on how well patients understand their condition and adopt sustainable lifestyle changes. This growing emphasis on patient education in India is driving a new wave of collaborations between healthcare educators and professional medical bodies.

In one such initiative, The Healthy Indian Project (THIP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ISLM) to develop evidence-based Digital Patient Education Programmes on Childhood Obesity and Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD).

Under the collaboration, ISLM will serve as the Knowledge Partner, providing scientific review and academic oversight, while THIP Academy, THIP's digital Patient Education Platform, will develop the curriculum, produce the learning experience and deliver the programmes through its self-paced online platform.

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Unlike traditional patient information leaflets or awareness campaigns, the programmes are being designed as structured digital learning experiences where patients and caregivers can understand their condition through expert-led videos, interactive learning modules, assessments and practical guidance that can be accessed anytime.

The collaboration reflects a broader change taking place across healthcare. Medical societies are increasingly looking beyond scientific conferences and journals to improve public understanding of disease, while digital patient education platforms are emerging as an effective way to deliver credible, evidence-based health information directly to patients.

Lifestyle Medicine has become particularly relevant as clinical guidelines across multiple specialities now recognise nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management and other behavioural interventions as essential components of managing chronic diseases alongside medical treatment.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Lakshmi Sundar, President, Indian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ISLM), said, "Patients receive valuable advice during consultations, but converting that advice into lasting behaviour change remains one of healthcare's biggest challenges. Lifestyle Medicine is built on evidence, yet its impact depends on how well patients understand and apply that evidence in their daily lives. Our partnership with THIP Academy is an opportunity to extend evidence-based patient education beyond the clinic and make it accessible to people across the country, as well as use digital as a medium to push for positive behaviour."

Commenting on the partnership, Sudipta Sengupta, CEO, The Healthy Indian Project, said, "Medical science has advanced tremendously, but patient understanding has not kept pace. We started THIP with a simple belief- that better-informed patients make better health decisions. Through THIP Academy, we are building a patient education platform where India's leading medical associations contribute scientific expertise as Knowledge Partners while we transform that knowledge into structured digital learning programmes that patients can complete at their own pace. We are delighted to welcome the Indian Society of Lifestyle Medicine to this growing network."

The first programmes developed under the collaboration will focus on Childhood Obesity and PCOD - two conditions where sustained lifestyle modification plays a critical role alongside clinical management. Additional Lifestyle Medicine programmes are expected to follow as the partnership expands into other areas of preventive and chronic disease care.

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