Latest news with #AngYeeGary
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Straits Times
Forum: Work in progress to make all health screening data accessible to GPs
Forum: Work in progress to make all health screening data accessible to GPs We agree with Dr Ang Yee Gary that a central health screening registry accessible to all general practitioners (Create a central health screening registry that all GPs can access, June 10) will be useful and improve care for patients. Today, Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) GPs can access their patients' eligibility for Healthier SG screening through their clinic management systems or the MOH Healthcare Claims Portal. GPs can also access the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) system, which contains the results of health screening conducted by public healthcare institutions and GPs participating in Healthier SG. However, it does not capture the results of health screening conducted by other private clinics. The Ministry of Health is working on a Health Information Bill where all private and public healthcare providers will be required to contribute clinical information, including screening test results, to NEHR. This will be made available to GPs to further enhance patient care. Ruth Lim (Dr) Director (Disease Policy and Strategy) Ministry of Health More on this Topic Forum: What readers are saying Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
09-06-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Forum: Create a central health screening registry that all GPs can access
D espite years of public education and subsidised national programmes, Singapore's screening rates for cancers such as breast, cervical and colorectal cancer remain suboptimal. Screening for cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes also sees low participation, particularly among older adults. With the launch of Healthier SG, I see a timely opportunity to close these gaps. General practitioners (GPs), as each enrollee's designated primary care provider, are ideally placed to offer personalised health advice and initiate timely screening. However, many GPs lack access to consolidated screening records, and are not notified when patients are due – or overdue – for national screening. As a result, crucial opportunities are often missed during routine consultations. These visits could otherwise be used to nudge patients towards essential preventive care. To address this, I propose a central screening registry integrated with GPs' electronic medical record systems. Such a registry should flag patients due for screening, prompt GPs during visits, and enable referrals with minimal friction. It should also track whether screening invitations have been sent, tests completed, and follow-ups conducted. This would ensure better continuity and accountability across the care pathway. I also believe artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance this effort. AI tools could identify patients likely to miss screenings based on age, medical history and behavioural patterns. This would allow GPs to prioritise outreach and follow-up more effectively. Patients could also receive personalised reminders through HealthHub or SMS, reinforcing their doctor's advice. Naturally, such systems must uphold strong data protection standards and be clinically validated. Healthier SG represents a shift from reactive to proactive healthcare. But to make that vision a reality, GPs need more than responsibility – they need the right infrastructure. By combining trusted relationships in primary care with data-driven tools, we could boost screening uptake, detect diseases earlier, and ultimately reduce long-term healthcare costs to add years of healthy life to the population of Singapore. Ang Yee Gary (Dr) More on this Topic Forum: What readers are saying Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
