Today, we're exploring something really interesting that's transforming healthcare—something we've all probably used at some point: a symptom checker online to see what that strange ache or cough might be.

Dr Maya AI, and how it fundamentally differs from those traditional symptom checkers we're all familiar with—think Ada, Babylon, WebMD, Bowie, and the usual suspects. Its core lies in its philosophy and how it approaches user symptoms. It was pioneered by Dr Kadiyali Srivatsa, who, believe it or not, digitalised patient-centred care decades before tech giants jumped in for profit. He created the first symptom and sign checker website but later stopped updating it. His reasoning was insightful; he realised that sharing knowledge about every symptom and sign could instil fear, foster dependency on doctors, and undermine confidence in people ...