The Singapore Family Physician

Back to issue Vol 49 No. 2 - Family Medicine in 2023 and Beyond

Practical Considerations of “One Singaporean, One Family Doctor” – Challenges Ahead and Recommendations

Cheong Siew Meng
The Singapore Family Physician Vol 49 No 2 - Family Medicine in 2023 and Beyond
1 January 2023
0377-5305
In 2023, Singapore will embark on Healthier SG (HSG), which represents an important step in transforming healthcare in Singapore. Of the five Key Features of Healthier SG, the implementation of a national enrolment programme, predicated on the patient-doctor relationship in primary care, is central. Every Singaporean will be able to enrol with a family doctor who is a primary care provider (PCP) and co-create a health plan that promotes wellness and meets their biopsychosocial needs. PCPs will need to onboard their clinics as HSG Clinics before patients can choose and enrol with them. To become a HSG Clinic, PCPs will need to fulfil certain prerequisites, ensuring that they are able to meet requirements in clinical care, care reporting, and claims management. PCPs should evaluate their practices to ensure they possess the capabilities and qualities to onboard and participate in Healthier SG. This article seeks to share key practice management challenges that lie ahead and recommendations that PCPs can consider. The challenges and recommendations have been grouped into four key focus areas: 1) our people; 2) our processes; 3) our systems; and 4) our networks. Healthier SG is just the start of a journey of care transformation for our people, the healthcare profession, and our nation. By understanding our people, processes, systems, and networks, HSG clinics can adopt and adapt solutions to meet their specific practice needs. A practice playbook could also be developed to document and guide implementation, which also serves as a stepping stone for future enhancements.