Latest news with #HealthierSG
The Star
12 hours ago
- Health
- The Star
S'poreans can test for genetic condition causing high cholesterol levels under new programme
The new genetic testing programme for familial hypercholesterolaemia comes amid broader efforts to enhance preventive care in Singapore. - AFP SINGAPORE: Eligible Singapore residents will be able to screen for a genetic condition which causes high cholesterol levels at a subsidised rate as part of a nationwide programme launching on June 30. In a statement on June 19, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that the new genetic testing programme for familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) comes amid broader efforts to enhance preventive care in Singapore. The initiative aims to identify individuals with FH early and reduce the risk of premature heart disease with timely interventions. FH is a hereditary condition that impacts the body's ability to process cholesterol, affecting roughly 20,000 people in Singapore. People with the condition are up to 20 times more likely to experience heart attacks at a younger age compared with the general population. In a Facebook post on June 19, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that the Government is looking to expand preventive care based on genetic testing to more diseases beyond FH. 'It is part of our longer term effort to develop predictive preventive care under Healthier SG,' he said. As part of this effort, the ministry aims to open three genomic assessment centres (GACs) to ensure effective, efficient and sustainable delivery of genetic testing services within each healthcare cluster. Genetics testing for FH at these centres will be subsidised for eligible Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PRs). They can also tap on MediSave to offset the cost. Those referred to GACs will undergo: Pre-test genetic counselling to understand potential outcomes and benefits before consenting to the test Blood drawing and the genetic test Post-test genetic counselling, to understand the implications of the results The first GAC will be operated by SingHealth and located at the National Heart Centre. It will start accepting referrals from June 30. This centre will serve all Singapore residents until additional centres open. GACs operated by National Healthcare Group and National University Health System will subsequently open to cater to residents' needs. Immediate family members of those found with the condition are at risk and encouraged to undergo genetic testing, MOH said. Known as cascade screening, this process enables early detection of FH within families. It also allows for more timely intervention and treatment, such as advising them to adopt healthier lifestyles or starting on cholesterol-lowering therapies. Under the programme, Singapore citizens and PRs with abnormally high cholesterol levels may be referred by their doctors for genetic testing. Eligible Singaporeans and PRs can receive subsidies of up to 70 per cent for the costs, which include the genetic tests, pre-test and post-test counselling, and phlebotomy services. Seniors from the Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation are also eligible for additional subsidies. After subsidies, referred patients can expect to pay between US$117 (US$91.06) and US$575. Those eligible for cascade screening can expect to pay between US$53 and US$253 after subsidies. The MediSave500 and MediSave700 scheme can be used to further offset the cost of the genetic test after subsidies. Patients who are 60 years old and above may also use Flexi-MediSave to further defray out-of-pocket costs. Under a moratorium on genetic testing and insurance introduced by MOH and the Life Insurance Association Singapore (LIA) in 2021, life insurers here are banned from using predictive genetic test results in assessing the outcome of insurance applications, unless certain criteria are satisfied. Insurers are also not allowed to use genetic test results from biomedical research or direct-to-consumer genetic test results. MOH said it has worked with the LIA to amend the moratorium to disallow life insurers in Singapore to use the results of all genetic tests conducted under the national FH genetic testing programme. They may, however, continue to request for individuals to disclose existing diagnosed conditions and family history. The amended moratorium will take effect from June 30. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
17 hours 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.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
S'poreans can test for genetic condition causing high cholesterol levels under new programme
SINGAPORE - Eligible Singapore residents will be able to screen for a genetic condition which causes high cholesterol levels at a subsidised rate as part of a nationwide programme launching on June 30. In a statement on June 19, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that the new genetic testing programme for familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) comes amid broader efforts to enhance preventive care in Singapore. The initiative aims to identify individuals with FH early and reduce the risk of premature heart disease with timely interventions. FH is a hereditary condition that impacts the body's ability to process cholesterol, affecting roughly 20,000 people in Singapore. People with the condition are up to 20 times more likely to experience heart attacks at a younger age compared with the general population. In a Facebook post on June 19, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that the Government is looking to expand preventive care based on genetic testing to more diseases beyond FH. 'It is part of our longer term effort to develop predictive preventive care under Healthier SG,' he said. As part of this effort, the ministry aims to open three genomic assessment centres (GACs) to ensure effective, efficient and sustainable delivery of genetic testing services within each healthcare cluster. Genetics testing for FH at these centres will be subsidised for eligible Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PRs). They can also tap on MediSave to offset the cost. Those referred to GACs will undergo: Pre-test genetic counselling to understand potential outcomes and benefits before consenting to the test Blood drawing and the genetic test Post-test genetic counselling, to understand the implications of the results The first GAC will be operated by SingHealth and located at the National Heart Centre. It will start accepting referrals from June 30. This centre will serve all Singapore residents until additional centres open. GACs operated by National Healthcare Group and National University Health System will subsequently open to cater to residents' needs. Immediate family members of those found with the condition are at risk and encouraged to undergo genetic testing, MOH said. Known as cascade screening, this process enables early detection of FH within families. It also allows for timelier intervention and treatment, such as advising them to adopt healthier lifestyles or starting on cholesterol-lowering therapies. Under the programme, Singapore citizens and PRs with abnormally high cholesterol levels may be referred by their doctors for genetic testing. Eligible Singaporeans and PRs can receive subsidies of up to 70 per cent for the costs, which include the genetic tests, pre-test and post-test counselling, and phlebotomy services. Seniors from the Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation are also eligible for additional subsidies. After subsidies, referred patients can expect to pay between $117 and $575. Those eligible for cascade screening can expect to pay between $53 and $253 after subsidies. The MediSave500 and MediSave700 scheme can be used to further offset the cost of the genetic test after subsidies. Patients who are 60 years old and above may also use Flexi-MediSave to further defray out of pocket costs. Under a moratorium on genetic testing and insurance introduced by MOH and the Life Insurance Association Singapore (LIA) in 2021, life insurers here are banned from using predictive genetic test results in assessing the outcome of insurance applications, unless certain criteria are satisfied. Insurers are also not allowed to use genetic test results from biomedical research or direct-to-consumer genetic test results. MOH said it has worked with the LIA to amend the moratorium to disallow life insurers in Singapore to use the results of all genetic tests conducted under the national FH genetic testing programme. They may, however, continue to request for individuals to disclose existing diagnosed conditions and family history. The amended moratorium will take effect from June 30. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
CNA
3 days ago
- Health
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Healthier SG report card: Two years on
CNA938 Rewind It's been two years since Singapore's national healthcare programme Healthier SG was launched. Andrea Heng and Susan Ng speak with Susan Tan, President of the Society of Behavorial Health Singapore, and a registered nurse and health coach on its effects on the population and the hurdles still facing policymakers.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Straits Times
AI to help doctors predict disease risk in next bound of Healthier SG: Ong Ye Kung
Mr Ong Ye Kung also outlined major national healthcare AI projects that the public can expect in the months to come. PHOTO: ST FILE AI to help doctors predict disease risk in next bound of Healthier SG: Ong Ye Kung SINGAPORE - National health records, socio-economic and genetic data may be used to support preventive care and social prescribing as the next bound of Singapore's Healthier SG programme. Announcing this at the inaugural AI Accelerate conference on June 16 , Mr Ong said that predictive artificial intelligence (AI), dubbed the next frontier in healthcare transformation, can help doctors predict if someone is likely to develop serious conditions many years in advance. 'This will be in the next bound of Healthier SG, leveraging health records, evidence-based clinical risk scoring and AI's predictive powers to support preventive care and social prescribing,' said Mr Ong at the conference organised by national healthcare tech provider Synapxe held at Punggol Digital District. But Mr Ong added that humans are still irreplaceable. 'We will continue to maintain the human touch through our family doctors, guiding and empowering residents to take charge of health outcomes before illness strikes,' he said, likening using AI with no doctors to flying a plane without a pilot. 'Likewise, while there is literature suggesting that AI provides better medical diagnosis and treatment plan than a doctor equipped with AI, I think most of us will still prefer the latter because we trust the human doctor who can empathise with our worries and concerns,' he said, noting that AI does not think, feel, hope, fear or empathise. Mr Ong also outlined major national healthcare AI projects that the public can expect in the months to come. By 2027, the national HealthHub app that holds citizens health records will be consolidated with apps from Singapore's three healthcare clusters - Health Buddy, NHG Cares App and NUHS App - to improve online accessibility of public healthcare services. 'We can enhance this new consolidated HealthHub with AI, so that the app can do more than manage health records, appointments, and bill payments,' he added. For instance, HealthHub AI can offer personalised health information, such as how to manage common health conditions, including through lifestyle changes. The advice will be conveyed through speech and text in four languages and in a conversational style. 'It is currently in beta and users' feedback has been promising,' said Mr Ong, adding Synapxe aims to launch this later this year. The public healthcare sector also plans to expand its use of AI for chest X-rays. It was used into NHG's Geylang Polyclinic to help prioritise cases so that patients with normal results can be managed more quickly. This month, the National Centre for Infectious Diseases will start to use chest X-ray AI to screen for tuberculosis. Similarly, Woodlands Health will start to use imaging AI in its emergency department to detect bone fractures, said Mr Ong. The capability will be rolled out progressively across the public healthcare system by end 2026, said Mr Ong. AI can expand human skills and ability to get more things done and better, but also subtracts the human experience of discovery and trial and error. It is important to fully leverage AI, but not become subservient to it, he added. Whether by coincidence or divine intervention, he said that AI is bursting into the scene just when human societies are experiencing an unprecedented process of ageing. 'Patient numbers are rising, with more complex and multiple conditions; healthcare systems are stressed; care is shifting to the community and patients' homes; prevention of diseases is taking centre stage,' he said. 'AI is a scientific gift to us to tackle the biggest social challenge of our time.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
