Philips’ Future Health Index 2023 has placed Singapore’s health sector “at the forefront of digital technology” on workforce, efficiency and sustainability.
According to the report, Singapore’s need for an additional 24,000 healthcare workers to support its aging population and meet the demands on the nation’s health system, is being alleviated in some areas by technology. 75 percent of healthcare leaders are cited as “already using, or planning to use, digital health technology to reduce the impact of healthcare workforce shortages”. The top three of these technologies are reportedly cloud-based technology to support access to information from any location (53 percent); technology solutions to connect with out-of-hospital settings (40 percent); and workflow technology like digital health records and patient flow automation (33 percent).
Philips also identified that embracing technology was helping to attract young healthcare professionals, with 39 percent of those surveyed stating that a healthcare facility being “at the forefront of AI is the top consideration” when choosing where to work. Young professionals also felt that digital technologies improved their work satisfaction, with 35 percent citing the ability to access diagnostic capabilities remotely; 33 percent citing the use of chat bots to provide patients with answers to basic medical questions; and 31 percent noting the portability of health data.
Among other statistics on the use of tech in Singapore for health purposes, the report reveals that “healthcare professionals in Singapore are most likely to prefer to invest in AI to predict outcomes”, with 45 percent favouring this functionality. 33 percent placed updating existing technology solutions as a priority, and 34 percent believed that lack of access to appropriate technology was also one of the barriers to implementing sustainability initiatives.
To read the report in full, please click here.
In news from elsewhere, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched its digital transformation strategy for 2023 – 2030, focusing on the potential for African nations to “leapfrog traditional stages of development and adopt innovative solutions that can significantly improve health outcomes”.
