Singapore’s healthcare industry is at the forefront of digital technology adoption to address workforce challenges and improve efficiencies in healthcare service delivery, according to Royal Philips’ Future of Health Index 2023 report.
Three in four healthcare leaders in Singapore (above the global average of 56%) say they already use, or plan to use, digital health technologies to reduce the impact of healthcare workforce shortages. The top three technologies identified are cloud-based technology to support access to information from any location, technology solutions that connect with out-of-hospital settings, and workflow technology like digital health records and patient flow automation.
Moreover, 84% of healthcare leaders plan to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) three years from now, indicating a definitive long-term commitment to the technology, in line with the global average of 83%.
Healthcare professionals in Singapore are most likely to prefer to invest in AI to predict outcomes, with 45% of healthcare leaders and 39% of younger healthcare professionals favouring this functionality. The next most popular choice is AI for clinical decision support (40% for leaders and 37% for younger professionals). This reflects how AI is poised to feature prominently in healthcare, aiding in the diagnosis of diseases, personalised treatment plans, and predicting health outcomes.
New care delivery models
The study also reveals that healthcare professionals in Singapore are envisioning new care delivery models that are powered by technology and integrate physical and virtual services within and beyond hospital walls. This is aligned with the nation’s Healthier SG strategy.
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Two-thirds (68%) of all the respondents say that they are well-equipped to work effectively with these new distributed models, higher than the global average of 59%. The majority expect the new care delivery models to offer healthcare staff a better work-life balance (60%) and contribute to greater work satisfaction than traditional healthcare models (52%).
While a distributed model of care offers many benefits, both healthcare leaders and younger healthcare professionals see increased patient compliance or adherence to treatment as the top selected benefit. This is followed by increased revenue opportunities, and increased efficiency (such as shorter waiting times and attending to more patients) and more convenient locations for patients (near and in patients’ homes).
Healthcare leaders are also enhancing their resources to ensure new care models improve patient outcomes. Their top priorities include investing more in staff training (39%), updating existing technology solutions (33%), consulting with vulnerable and underserved populations (32%), and building partnerships outside of the healthcare system (32%).
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The adoption of technology will also help healthcare organisations with their decarbonisation efforts. Sixty-one per cent of Singapore respondents believe that new care delivery models will deliver care in a more environmentally friendly and sustainable way.
However, healthcare leaders also share that they face multiple challenges when it comes to implementing sustainability initiatives. The most frequently challenge cited was getting access to appropriate technology. Additional barriers faced include personnel issues such as a lack of internal expertise, a lack of interest from staff, and a lack of staff in general.
To overcome these barriers, healthcare leaders believe in creating a strong business case. More than one-third (35%) say they see value in sharing best practices with peers, working with a third party (35%), and recruiting staff with more specialist skills (35%).
“This latest report shows that Singapore has been making steadfast progress in healthcare digitalisation. Continued investment in digital transformation in 2024 and beyond is key to solving many of our health challenges and will support the nation’s Healthier SG strategy, shifting healthcare beyond hospital walls to enable coordinated, effective, and inclusive preventive care for all,” says Ivy Lai, country manager of Philips Singapore.
She adds: “We will continue to support the industry with its digital transformation, enabling people, data, and technology to be seamlessly connected to improve patient experience of care, the health of individuals and populations, work life of health professionals, and reduce per capita cost of healthcare.”
