Singapore Hospital Care at Home

Increasingly, the idea of hospital care at home and a hospital without walls is gaining popularity.  As Singapore’s aging population grows, medical care may be delivered at home rather than in a hospital setting without compromising the quality of care.  The caveat is that the patient must be clinically stable to be offered this option. 

As a sustainable alternative to traditional hospital care, the Mobile Inpatient Care-at-Home program was designed to ease the burden on hospitals and healthcare facilities in the long run, such as bed capacity, and to manage patient loads more effectively.  It also addressed the fast-growing healthcare needs in Singapore.  Public healthcare patients could receive hospital-type care at home with the expansion of a “virtual” ward pilot program at most public healthcare institutions.  

For example, the Singapore General Hospital and National University Hospital have home hospitalization services that offer clinically suitable patients the choice of being cared for at home by a team of healthcare professionals who conduct regular home visits and teleconsultations.  This has become a mainstream care model in Singapore’s public healthcare institutions.  Some intangible benefits to patients are a smooth transition back to their pre-hospitalization lifestyle and a more comfortable recovery.  Also, the risk of contracting infections in hospitals is reduced. 

In 2023, there were 100 virtual beds, which will progressively increase to 300 in 2024.  This alternative care model will be scaled up further as Singapore transitions to patient care beyond the hospital bed.  It also looks to invest in healthcare infrastructure to ensure it can meet future healthcare needs.  At present, there are approximately 11,000 public hospital beds, and another 4000 beds will be added to meet the needs of Singapore’s rapidly aging population from now to 2030.  The aim is to anchor care outside of hospitals.  Not all patients need high acuity care and constant monitoring in a hospital setting.  Many would need convalescent care and rehabilitation. 

The increased adoption of telemedicine and digital and remote care are viable alternatives to in-person medical appointments.   This was demonstrated during the recent COVID-19 pandemic and can be employed more in mainstream patient care.  

U.S. companies that supply products and services that support the healthcare delivery ecosystem and enhance hospital care at home may find Singapore a suitable market.   Some product examples include automatic bed turners, wearable vital signs sensors, real-time tracking of patients and medical devices, and a wide range of technologies from robotics and artificial intelligence to data analytics that could help transform the healthcare system. 

Those interested in exploring the Singapore market may contact Ms. Luanne Theseira at the U.S. Commercial Service in Singapore.