ISSUES RELATED TO MOBILE INPATIENT CARE AT HOME PROGRAMME SUCH AS USE OF REMOTE MONITORING TECHNOLOGY AND COMPLIANCE WITH TREATMENT REGIME

NOTICE PAPER NO. 2222
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER
FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 3 OCTOBER 2023

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Dr Lim Wee Kiak
MP for Sembawang GRC

Question No. 5173

To ask the Minister for Health with regard to the Mobile Inpatient Care at Home programme (a) how will the Government ensure that patients who are enrolled have access to the necessary equipment for remote monitoring and care at home; (b) what measures are in place to provide technological literacy and support to patients and caregivers to utilise the remote monitoring technology; (c) how is the compliance with treatment plans and medications being monitored; and (d) whether there are plans to expand this programme to cover more hospitals and conditions.

Answer

1 Mobile Inpatient Care at Home (MIC@Home) is implemented in all public hospitals in a limited way, only for patients in General Medicine where their conditions are suitable for management at home. 

2 Patients are provided with appropriate clinical monitoring equipment such as blood pressure monitors and are trained to use the equipment at home. Hospital care team does daily check-ins via tele-consultation to ensure compliance with treatment plans and medications, and if necessary, conduct an in-person visit for physical assessment or to provide necessary treatment. 

3 We are exploring the possibility of scaling up MIC@Home, including to other patient types, such as patients on palliative care, paediatric patients, and gynaecological patients.