HIMSS25: Digital increases patient involvement and self-management

Photo: MoMo Productions/Getty Images

Digital programs enhance patient engagement by increasing involvement and self-management, according to Yanyan Hu, CIO of the Ministry of Health Singapore, who is speaking at HIMSS25.

Health tech improves communication, and encourages self-management and behavioral change, Hu said.

At HIMSS25, Hu and Akash Perera, manager of Healthcare Transformation at MOH, will share their experiences in designing, implementing and operating safe digital healthcare programs within Singapore's public healthcare system. 

The focus will be on patient-centric data collection, ensuring data security within a hybrid cloud environment and preserving data privacy in digital marketing and patient engagement.  

Patient-centric data collection emphasizes the patient's perspective and preferences. 

The bottom line, according to Hu, is that digital health makes healthcare more personalized and accessible. This leads to improved outcomes and care, as well as increased efficiency, cost reductions, and new protocols and treatments.

Digital programs include online services, telehealth and more personalized communication through tailored messages, chatbots and event AI assistants.     

By encouraging self-management via health-tracking apps and wearables, patients are empowered to monitor and manage chronic conditions more actively, Hu said. Remote monitoring through wearable devices provides reminders and alerts for screenings, vaccinations and check-ups.

In addition, behavioral nudges via health tips and reminders help motivate patients to adopt healthy habits.

Digital also offers patients easier access to their medical records, test results and educational resources.

However, Hu said, the top priority in healthcare is safety, given that patient health and lives are at stake. Achieving safe digitized healthcare solutions is therefore a critical goal. 

The potential safety risks include receiving inaccurate data from faulty devices or patients, leading to potential incorrect diagnoses or even wrong treatments.

Delayed or missed care could be caused by digital system outages and could disrupt critical care if proper backup systems and protocols are not in place. 

"There should always be redundancy that is human-based," Hu said.

Privacy breaches are another big risk. To mitigate unauthorized access, patient data should be collected only when it's necessarily required, Hu said.

"Over collecting of data should be prevented at the beginning as part of the care model design," he said. 
 
Hu and Perera will speak at the session, "Develop Safe Digital Programs in Healthcare," Tuesday, March 4, from 3-3:30 p.m. in the Venetian Palazzo M, during HIMSS25 in Las Vegas.

Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org