Imagine a world where every patient’s health history, including demographics, diagnoses, and medication records, is seamlessly available to any doctor or hospital, public or private, improving the quality and speed of care. Singapore endeavored to make this a reality by announcing that all private hospitals in the country will now connect to the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) system. Managed by Synapxe, the NEHR is set for full integration with these hospitals by next year. This move aims to bridge the gap between public and private healthcare sectors, promoting better continuity of care through efficient healthcare data sharing. Furthermore, private hospitals are required to conduct regular software updates, report cybersecurity incidents promptly, and train staff thoroughly in cyber hygiene to maintain the integrity and security of shared data.
The establishment of the NEHR involved a $20 million contract with Accenture in 2010, with the system having been introduced in 2011. Primarily, the NEHR consolidates essential health summaries, including patient demographics, diagnoses, and medication histories. While all of Singapore’s public healthcare settings are already fully connected to the NEHR, about 15% of the private sector, which includes GP clinics, began accessing and sharing data with the system about a year ago. However, the integration of all healthcare data into the NEHR remains optional at present. The proposed Health Information Bill, anticipated to be presented to Parliament next year, seeks to make this integration mandatory. It also aims to establish a comprehensive framework for safe data collection and sharing practices. Concurrently, another project, the Next-Generation Electronic Medical Record (EMR), is in development. This project is intended to consolidate health data across the National University Health System and National Healthcare Group clusters, further supporting comprehensive data sharing.
Enhancing Healthcare Data Management
Imagine a world where any doctor or hospital, whether public or private, can instantly access a patient’s complete health history, including demographics, diagnoses, and medication records. This vision is becoming a reality in Singapore, where all private hospitals will soon connect to the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) system. The NEHR, managed by Synapxe, is set for full integration with these hospitals by next year. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between public and private healthcare sectors, enhancing the continuity and quality of care through efficient data sharing. Additionally, private hospitals are mandated to conduct regular software updates, promptly report cybersecurity incidents, and thoroughly train staff in cyber hygiene to ensure data security.
The NEHR was established in 2011, following a $20 million contract with Accenture in 2010. It consolidates essential health summaries like patient demographics, diagnoses, and medications. While all public healthcare settings in Singapore are connected to the NEHR, only about 15% of the private sector, including GP clinics, began using the system last year. Full integration of all healthcare data remains optional, but the upcoming Health Information Bill, expected to be presented to Parliament next year, aims to make it mandatory and establish a framework for secure data practices. Concurrently, the Next-Generation Electronic Medical Record (EMR) project is in development to consolidate health data across different health clusters, further promoting comprehensive data sharing.
