Source: MOH
In line with the healthcare master plan of creating good and affordable healthcare in Singapore, the strategy of the ‘3 Beyonds’ was announced in 2017 by the Ministry of Health (MOH):
• Beyond Healthcare to Health with the aim to build a healthier nation by improving individual health, thereby requiring less of the healthcare system.
• Beyond Hospital to Community by enabling patients to receive appropriate medical care and recuperate in the community or at home. This plan also aims to reduce/avoid frequent hospital admissions.
• Beyond Quality to Value is an effort to retain or increase the quality of care while ensuring value for money.
Riding on the ‘3 Beyonds’ and the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medicine partnership’s shared mission, the Paediatrics ACP has established the following initiatives.
BRIDGES: Bringing Research Innovations for the Diagnosis of GEnetic Diseases in Singapore
The Genetics Service at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) has more than 20 years’ of experience in providing clinical care to patients with genetic diseases. The service receives an average of 2,000 patients per year, 500 of whom are new referrals. KKH established the BRIDGES (Bringing Research Innovations for the Diagnosis of GEnetic diseases in Singapore) programme in 2014, in collaboration with genomic research institutes (including Duke-NUS Medical School and A*STAR). The programme uses state-of-the-art genomic methods and analytic tools. Since its launch, more than 380 families with undiagnosed rare genetic diseases have been recruited for this programme.
In comparison to global standards achieving a diagnostic yield of 25 to 30 per cent, the programme was able to establish a diagnosis in 39 per cent of these patients, who had previously remained undiagnosed despite extensive investigations. Most importantly, a genetic diagnosis established for one in three of these patients had a direct impact on their management.
As Paediatrics ACP transit care into the community beyond the hospital setting, there are several successful programs established to fulfil this purpose. The Kids Integrated Development Service 0-3 (KIDS 0-3) is run through a multi-disciplinary team and home visiting services, the programme supports pregnant mothers from at-risk families to optimise growth and development of their infant from birth up to three years old
The primary intent of the Children’s Complex & Home Care Services at KKH is to provide a smooth transition to the community and better coordination of care for children with medically complex conditions. This can be achieved by delivering family-centred and patient-centric care during the various contact points in the patient’s healthcare journey, including the transition of care into the community and their home. The team also aspires to support and empower families and the community in caring for children dependent on medical technology in future.
With better coordination of care, as well as patient and community empowerment and collaborations, KKH hopes to improve the quality of life of this group of children and their families by enhancing care within the community and their home.
In addition, the SingHealth Patient Advocacy Network (SPAN) aims to improve patients’ health outcomes by empowering patients and their families to become partners in their own care. SPAN consists of volunteer patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals who share stories, ideas, best practices and their healthcare journeys to enhance the quality of care.
The KKH Urgent Paediatric Advice Line (UPAL) is a new pilot online service for parents and caregivers to seek advice for common paediatric conditions. This initiative aspires to enhance confidence and value for the public in the management of common childhood illnesses. This initiative also synergises with SingHealth’s mission of ‘Innovate to Advance’, as it leverages on the technology to transform and advance care for our patients.
The Paediatrics ACP hopes to build on and extend collaborations with our various partners in the primary care network and community as we continue to deliver value-driven care and advocate for child health in Singapore.
Within the Paediatrics ACP, we endeavour to cultivate a strong culture of safety, centred around quality assurance and improvement, as well as good care coordination and transition across care teams in the institution and beyond.
