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In a heartwarming collaboration, a global high-tech company specialising in semiconductor technologies has extended a generous donation to SingHealth Community Hospitals (SCH), propelling the enhancement of SCH’s social prescribing programme.
This initiative focuses on addressing social determinants of health, recognising the impact of factors like housing, literacy, food security, social support, and access to resources on an individual’s overall well-being.
The significant donation has facilitated the acquisition of smartphones, tablets, and monthly mobile plans for SCH’s team, enabling them to conduct digital competency lessons for elderly patients as part of the e-Social Prescribing Programme.
This is vital for fostering inclusion, enabling access to health resources, facilitating telehealth, promoting mental well-being, encouraging lifelong learning, fostering independence, facilitating programme participation, and ensuring adaptation to modern living. These lessons empower seniors to navigate the digital age, enhancing their overall health, well-being, and participation in the broader community.
The contribution also supports the production of weekly entertainment live shows under the Variety Hour programme, the development of a gardening curriculum and spaces at SCH’s rooftop garden for therapeutic rehabilitation in the Horticultural Programme, and collaborations for arts and music sessions promoting mental and emotional well-being in the Arts for Healing Programme.
SCH’s social prescribing programme serves as a structured approach to improving patients’ health outcomes by connecting them with community activities, resources, and interest groups. This holistic strategy recognises the powerful impact of social determinants on an individual’s ability to recover, live well, and age well.
Associate Professor Gan Wee Hoe, CEO of SCH, expresses gratitude for the collaboration, emphasising the shared vision of providing holistic, person-centred patient care. In addition to the tangible contributions, the collaboration has empowered SCH’s care team to brainstorm innovative ways to extend the benefits of the social prescribing programme.
This includes setting up a multimedia studio within SCH, enabling the team to leverage in-house digital competencies to bring social prescriptions online. Livestreaming events like the Variety Hour Programme allow SCH to reach out to less mobile patients, promoting engagement and connection across different community hospital sites.
The impact of this collaboration also extends to the Arts for Healing Programme, which now includes individual art activities for patients unable to join group sessions. The initiative has facilitated the expansion of SCH’s reach, bringing the benefits of social prescriptions to a wider audience. Cooking demonstrations by SCH dietitians are professionally recorded and shared online, promoting healthy living to an extended community.
As Associate Professor Gan Wee Hoe highlights, a social prescription acts as a powerful complement to traditional medical approaches, recognising the importance of addressing social determinants for comprehensive patient care.
The digital collaboration between the technology company and SCH serves as a powerful illustration of the transformative potential inherent in leveraging technology for the betterment of communities.
Beyond the immediate benefits to patients, this collaborative endeavour stands as a lasting contribution to community health and happiness. It underscores the potential of technology not just as a tool for innovation but as a means to foster meaningful connections, particularly in the healthcare sector where the intersection of compassion and digital advancement can create transformative outcomes.
Meanwhile, OpenGov Asia earlier reported that SGH has adopted artificial intelligence with CARES-ML (Combined Assessment of Risk Encountered in Surgery – Machine Learning), an intelligent calculator improving precision in pre-surgery risk evaluations.
This AI innovation aims to mitigate the risks associated with surgeries, addressing the complications observed in 17% of over 300 million major surgeries globally each year, pre-COVID-19. SGH’s proactive strategy involves conducting pre-surgery assessments about 10 days before the scheduled procedure. If patients fall into the low-risk category, surgeries proceed as planned, while higher-risk cases prompt timely interventions.
