Tan Tock Seng Hospital will work closely with SingTel and Nokia to significantly improve medication management between doctors and patients at the point of care through digital telecommunication devices. This allows all relevant data on a patient to be presented in a way that directly supports clinical decision-making.
The Smart Messaging System (SMS) that the hospital currently uses as the platform for connectivity where nurses send messages to doctors will be integrated with the Computerised Clinician Order Entry system (CCOE), a computer application that accepts clinician orders electronically through telecommunication devices.
In the months ahead the rollout of the CCOE will ensure faster and better care for patients. This system integrates clinical, financial, diagnostic and administrative processes to support quality patient-centered care. Crucially the system is also workflow-engineered to synchronize processes across the health enterprise and to ensure the right task and relevant information is provided to the individual care providers at the right time and place.
This new generation healthcare IT solution that has been developed by clinicians for clinicians will function as a dynamic and integral part of the hospital team by driving and directing workflow processes to improve hand-offs and decision making.
“We recognize the unique ability of the system to ensure the right information about the right patient to the right provider at the right time ,” said Associate Professor Philip Choo, Chief of Medical Board, TTSH.
“In a multi-disciplinary environment, this translates into people working together and in sync to provide more effective diagnosis, treatment and care. By bringing together images and data seamlessly from a variety of medical modalities in one location, the system also helps facilitate more informed decision-making, increased staff satisfaction and in so doing create more benefits for the patient”.
“But most importantly, we believe that the system gives us the platform on which we can transform the entire care process, making care for our patients faster, better, safer and cheaper” he added.
“NHG is constantly striving to apply existing technologies to make patient care better faster cheaper and safer. There is much that can be done using relatively simple and available technologies today to enhance patient care,” remarked Dr Jason Cheah, Chief Project Officer, National Healthcare Group.
“This SMS linked to our computerised clinician order entry system will not only achieve these objectives but also enable our doctors and healthcare professionals to better manage our patients' medical problems as partners rather than as a one way healthcare provider only. Ultimately, patients must be empowered with the necessary information and tools to manage their own illnesses better for optimal outcomes”, he added.
Laboratory test results and patients’ prescriptions will be sent directly from the CCOE system to the attending doctor via SMS for verification and authentication. E-signatures can be created through the use of coded SMSes. This will further improve process efficiency, increase savings and reduce resource wastage for both the hospital and the patients.
In line with Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s innovative mandate, the hospital will be partnering Nokia and SingTel for the trial use of advanced mobile technology and a reliable service network in the medical industry.
Mr. Chris Carr, General Manager, Nokia Singapore said, “Nokia is very excited about exploring opportunities to work with the healthcare sector. We recognize that Tan Tock Seng Hospital is an innovator in the healthcare sector, and as an innovator in mobile technology, we are looking forward to extending our expertise in this partnership.”
“We see our role here as working with partners to leverage our position as the world leader in mobile technology to create value for the healthcare sector,” said Mr. Carr.
The memorandum of understanding signed between Tan Tock Seng Hospital, SingTel and Nokia will enhance the quality of care to patients and increase productivity amongst healthcare professionals with the usage of mobile telephony and explore ways where mobile telephony can be used in the hospital environment.
Mr Bill Chang, SingTel’s Executive Vice President of Corporate Business Group, said: “SingTel is delighted to be the telecommunications enabler for TTSH. We are excited with our role to help improve communications between the hospitals, nurses, doctors and patients through the innovative use of infocomm technology and services. It is commendable that TTSH has embarked on its mobile health strategy, which rides on SingTel’s telecommunications networks and services, towards achieving quality patient and healthcare in Singapore, and at the same time becoming a showcase for the medical world.”
For the past 20 years pagers have been the mode of communication for medical staff in hospitals throughout the world. In April 2004, Tan Tock Seng Hospital spearheaded the first documented study on the use of handphones in the medical environment. Patient safety had been paramount in the trial and the study showed that patient outcomes had been unaffected in the year-long trial.
In the next 3-5 years, Tan Tock Seng Hospital envisions revolutionary patient care with the interplay of telecommunication modes such as 3G, wireless connections, video packets, employment of the latest mobile technology to bring about better, safer and more efficient patient care.
Issued by the Corporate Communications department, Tan Tock Seng Hospital. For more information or to request for interviews, please call Farren Fernandez at tel: 6357 8415/ pager : 9802 6811 / e-mail:
About the National Healthcare Group
“The National Healthcare Group (NHG) manages:
Four hospitals - Alexandra Hospital, National University Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the Institute of Mental Health/Woodbridge Hospital;
The Johns Hopkins Singapore International Medical Centre; one National Centre – National Skin Centre;
The NHGP chain of nine polyclinics - Ang Mo Kio, Bukit Batok, Choa Chu Kang, Clementi, Hougang, Jurong, Toa Payoh, Woodlands, Yishun;
Three speciality institutes - The Cancer Institute, The Eye Institute and The Heart Institute; and
Five Business Divisions - NHG College, NHG Diagnostics, NHG Gulf, NHG Pharmacy and NetCare Internet Services.
Our vision is "Adding years of healthy life to the people of Singapore”.
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