Dr. Vikas Singhal.
Healthcare is increasingly moving towards a patient-centred approach in which a diagnosis is viewed as one part of a much larger clinical picture. For people living with chronic or recurring health concerns, understanding medical history, symptom patterns, lifestyle, investigations and individual circumstances can be important in developing an appropriate care plan.
The scale of chronic disease makes this conversation increasingly relevant. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), noncommunicable diseases caused at least 43 million deaths globally in 2021, accounting for 75% of non-pandemic-related deaths. Cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes represented a significant share of this burden. WHO also identifies factors including physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption and air pollution as contributors to NCD risk.
Against this background, healthcare cannot always be understood with the name of a disease alone. Two people may receive the same diagnosis while having different medical histories, symptoms, triggers, lifestyle factors and responses to treatment. This is where individualised assessment becomes relevant.
This approach has been an important part of the clinical philosophy of Dr. Vikas Singhal, a classical homeopathic physician with 23+ years of professional experience. Practising since 2004, Dr. Singhal has focused on detailed case-taking and understanding the individual pattern of symptoms over looking at a diagnostic label in isolation. His approach considers the patient's history, lifestyle, symptoms, relevant investigations and changes observed during follow-up.
One of the distinctive aspects of Dr. Vikas clinical practice is the emphasis on maintaining detailed patient records over the long term. As per the Dr. Vikas, the clinic has maintained patient histories and follow-up records for nearly 24-25 years. These records include information about symptoms, clinical history, investigations and changes observed during the course of follow-up.
Dr. Vikas Singhal's perspective also extends beyond choosing one healthcare system over another. His forthcoming book, Future of Integrative Healthcare: From Competition to Collaboration, explores the need for a more collaborative and patient-centred approach to healthcare. The book looks at how conventional medicine, preventive care, nutrition, mental health, lifestyle management and evidence-based complementary approaches can work together responsibly, with the patient's needs remaining at the centre of decision-making.
For patients with complex or recurring conditions, maintaining such a longitudinal record can provide a clearer picture than relying only on memory or a single consultation. Previous imaging, laboratory reports and other relevant investigations can be reviewed alongside the patient's reported symptoms and subsequent observations.
For example, where inflammatory markers or imaging studies are clinically relevant, comparing earlier and later reports can help doctors and patients understand how the clinical picture has changed over time. This does not by itself establish that a particular treatment caused the change, but it creates a documented timeline that can support more structured clinical discussions and follow-up.
Dr. Vikas Singhal believes that this kind of documentation can also help patients participate more meaningfully in conversations about their health. When relevant reports and clinical records are reviewed alongside symptoms, patients can have a clearer understanding of what has changed and what still requires attention.
It is important, however, to distinguish clinical documentation from scientific evidence. Long-term patient records and individual case observations can contribute to professional learning and generate questions for further research, but they are not substitutes for appropriately designed clinical studies. For complementary medicine in particular, strengthening the evidence base remains an important area for future research.
Dr. Vikas Singhal's perspective also extends beyond choosing one healthcare system over another. His ongoing work on a book about individualised and personalised care reflects his view that patients may require a combination of appropriate medical approaches depending on their individual circumstances.
This can include medical evaluation and investigations, medicines where clinically indicated, nutritional guidance, lifestyle changes, physical activity and yoga or other supportive practices where appropriate. Conventional medicine and modern diagnostic technology also have an important role, particularly when a condition requires specialist evaluation, urgent intervention or ongoing medical management.
The underlying principle is that the patient's needs should come before the preference for any particular system of medicine. A patient may not be concerned about whether an intervention belongs to conventional medicine, homeopathy, Ayurveda, yoga or another approach; the more important questions are whether it is appropriate, safe, supported by evidence and being used responsibly.
This does not mean that different systems should be combined automatically. Integrative healthcare requires professional judgement, clear communication, appropriate referral and respect for the evidence available for each intervention.
The global healthcare conversation is moving in this direction as well. WHO's Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034 identifies four broad objectives: strengthening the evidence base, supporting safe and effective traditional, complementary and integrative medicine through appropriate regulation, integrating safe and effective approaches into health systems where appropriate, and encouraging cross-sector collaboration.
For homeopathy specifically, scientific evidence remains an important consideration. The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) states that there is little evidence supporting homeopathy as an effective treatment for any specific health condition and advises against replacing proven conventional care with homeopathy. It also notes that some products labelled as homeopathic may contain active ingredients capable of causing side effects or interactions.
This makes transparency particularly important. Individualised care should not mean avoiding diagnosis, investigations or conventional medical treatment when they are required. Instead, it should mean understanding the individual patient, recognising the limits of available evidence and making healthcare decisions responsibly.
For Dr. Vikas Singhal, the next phase of this journey is still not simply about developing a clinical practice but also documenting clinical experiences, motivating more structured conversations around evidence and promoting a patient-centred understanding of healthcare. His academic background, which includes a B.Sc. in Biology, a Diploma in Nutrition and Health Education, a BHMS and an M.Sc. in Microbiology, further reflects his interest in viewing health through multiple disciplines.
In the end, personalised healthcare is not about promising one solution for every patient. It is about recognising that every individual brings a different history, set of circumstances and healthcare needs. Better documentation, appropriate investigations, evidence-informed decision-making, professional collaboration and individual attention can help create more responsible conversations around long-term health.
For Dr. Vikas Singhal, the central question remains simple: healthcare should be guided not by the identity of a particular system, but by what is appropriate for the patient, supported by evidence and delivered with safety and professional responsibility.
