THIP, ISLM Join Hands to Bring Doctor-Led Digital Health Education to Patients

India’s approach to managing lifestyle-related health conditions is getting a digital push, with The Healthy Indian Project (THIP) partnering with the Indian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ISLM) to develop evidence-based patient education programmes.

The organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 12 August 2026. Their first programmes will focus on childhood obesity and polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD), with more lifestyle medicine courses expected as the partnership expands.

Under the partnership, ISLM will act as the knowledge partner, providing scientific review and academic oversight. THIP Academy, the digital patient education platform of THIP, will handle curriculum development, course design and delivery through its self-paced online platform.

The programmes are designed to go beyond the usual health information leaflet or awareness campaign. Patients and caregivers will be able to access expert-led videos, interactive modules, assessments and practical guidance online. The aim is to make health information easier to understand and more useful in everyday decision-making.

The move comes as lifestyle-related conditions continue to put pressure on healthcare systems. Obesity, diabetes, fatty liver disease and PCOD are among the conditions linked to long-term lifestyle and metabolic health. Healthcare professionals increasingly stress that treatment may need to go beyond medicines, with nutrition, physical activity, sleep and stress management also playing an important role in long-term health.

For patients, the partnership could address a major problem with online health information: finding material that is both easy to understand and medically reliable. THIP Academy says its courses are designed for patients, caregivers, parents, young adults and older people, with content reviewed and presented by healthcare professionals.

ISLM’s own approach places lifestyle factors at the centre of preventive healthcare. The organisation promotes evidence-based lifestyle management covering areas such as physical activity, food and nutrition, sleep, stress management, social connectedness and environmental factors. Its stated mission includes preventing, managing and, where possible, reversing lifestyle-related diseases.

The partnership also reflects a wider shift in healthcare towards patient education and prevention. Rather than waiting for patients to seek information after developing a health problem, structured digital programmes can give people access to expert-reviewed material earlier in their health journey.

Childhood obesity is an important starting point because parents and caregivers often have to make decisions about food, physical activity and healthy routines on behalf of children. PCOD, meanwhile, can involve long-term concerns around menstrual health, metabolic health and fertility, making clear and reliable information particularly important.

THIP CEO Sudipta Sengupta said the collaboration reflects the organisation’s belief that better-informed patients can make better health decisions. ISLM President Dr Lakshmi Sundar said the partnership could help take evidence-based patient education beyond the clinic and make it accessible to people across India.

The next phase will determine how widely these programmes are adopted and whether similar digital courses can help improve health literacy around other chronic and lifestyle-related conditions. For India’s growing digital health sector, the partnership points towards a model where medical expertise and online education work together to help patients make more informed healthcare choices.