Doctors Advise Targeted Health Screening Over Routine Mass Testing

India's prominent physicians have urged citizens to move away from indiscriminate health screening, emphasizing that not every person requires routine blood tests or body scans. Speaking at the HealthWealth Summit 2026, specialists including Dr. Naveen Dang, Dr. Harsh Mahajan, and Dr. Arvind Lal outlined evidence-based principles for selecting appropriate preventive healthcare interventions.

The doctors stressed that preventive medicine should be personalized based on three primary factors: a patient's age, family medical history, and presenting symptoms. This approach aims to reduce unnecessary testing while ensuring that high-risk individuals receive appropriate screening. The experts cautioned that mass diagnostic procedures can lead to overdiagnosis, unnecessary treatment, and increased healthcare costs without corresponding health benefits.

The emphasis on targeted screening reflects international best practices in preventive medicine, where clinical guidelines recommend risk-stratified approaches rather than universal testing protocols. According to the specialists, this strategy not only improves healthcare efficiency but also helps avoid the cascade of unnecessary investigations and associated anxiety among patients.

The consultation at the summit comes amid rising concerns in India about the expansion of diagnostic testing, particularly in urban areas where commercial laboratory chains promote routine screening packages. Medical professionals argued that informed decision-making about health checks should involve consultation with qualified practitioners who can assess individual risk profiles.