Singapore NEHR

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The National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) project was launched to enable the vision of “One Patient, One Health Record” in Singapore. The project was initiated in 2008 by MOH Holdings (MOHH), the holding company of Singapore’s public healthcare clusters with a budget of SGD 176 million[1].

NEHR provides a holistic, patient-centric, longitudinal care record containing clinical information contributed by participating institutions. Through the sharing and exchange of clinical information, NEHR is intended to improve health outcomes, raise patient safety, and facilitate seamless transition across different care settings[2]. Clinicians and healthcare professionals are the main users of NEHR. Access to patients' records in NEHR is restricted for the purpose of delivering direct patient care. The NEHR system and the data within are owned by the Ministry of Health (MOH)[3].

Since its launch, NEHR has undergone enhancements to improve its usability and to introduce new clinical capabilities, such as medication reconciliation. Patients are given secured access to selected NEHR records through the HealthHub online portal. HealthHub is also available as iOS and Android mobile applications. In early 2018, the proposed Healthcare Services Bill was announced. In addition to various regulatory changes, it was proposed that all healthcare licensees, including private healthcare institutions, contribute to NEHR[4].

As of 27 April 2018, a total of 1,164 public and private healthcare institutions have participated in the NEHR system[5].

Details

Types of institutions participating in NEHR:

  • Restructured hospitals
  • Community hospitals
  • Polyclinics
  • Specialist outpatient clinics
  • Family medicine clinics
  • General practitioners
  • Nursing homes
  • Hospices
  • Ministry of Defence (MINDEF)
  • Other government agencies

Clinical information consolidated in NEHR include:

  • Admission and visit history
  • Discharge summaries
  • Laboratory test results
  • Radiology reports
  • Medication history
  • History of surgeries and procedures
  • Allergies and adverse drug reactions
  • Immunizations

History

2008
Project conceptualization and formation of the National Health Informatics Strategy
2009
NEHR proof-of-concept (POC) and request for proposal (RFP)
2010
Project contract awarded to Accenture-led consortium[6]
April 2011
NEHR Phase 1 Go-Live
April 2014
Launch of Patient’s Medication List (PML) to support medication reconciliation
October 2015
Launch of HealthHub portal and mobile application[7]
November 2016
Role of NEHR operator was taken over by Integrated Health Information Systems (IHiS), Singapore’s healthcare technology agency

References

  1. MOH Singapore. (2010, June 25). Contract to Implement Singapore's National Electronic Health Record (Phase 1) Awarded. Retrieved April 28, 2018, from Ministry of Health Press Room: https://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/pressRoom/pressRoomItemRelease/2010/Contract_to_Implement_Singapore_National_Electronic_Health_Record_Phase_1_Awarded.html
  2. Low, C., & Li, D. (2015, May 5). Challenges of Transformation on Our Healthcare IT Journey. SMA News, 47(5), 5-7. Retrieved April 28, 2018, from Singapore Medical Association News: https://www.sma.org.sg/UploadedImg/1507884001_Full%20PDF.pdf
  3. IHiS. (2018). Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved April 28, 2018, from NEHR: https://cms.ihis.com.sg/sites/nehr/Pages/FAQ.aspx#About%20NEHR
  4. MOH Singapore. (2018, April 18). About Healthcare Services Act (HCSA). Retrieved April 28, 2018, from Ministry of Health Healthcare Services Act: https://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/hcsa/about-hcsa.html
  5. MOH Singapore. (2018, April 27). Institutions Participating in the National Electronic Health Records System (NEHR). Retrieved April 28, 2018, from Ministry of Health NEHR: https://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/national-electronic-health-records-listing.html
  6. Accenture. (2017, December 8). Accenture works with Singapore to implement its National Electronic Health Record System. Retrieved April 28, 2018, from Accenture: https://www.accenture.com/t20170518T051457__w__/sg-en/_acnmedia/PDF-51/Accenture-Health-Electronic-Health-Records-Case-Study.pdf
  7. MOH Singapore. (2015, October 18). Fact sheet on HealthHub. Retrieved April 28, 2018, from HealthHub: https://www.healthhub.sg/news/67/2015-oct23mohh

Submitted by Leong Hui Wong