Speech by A/Prof Benjamin Ong, Director of Medical Services, Ministry of Health, for Opening Ceremony of the 9th Biennial Joanna Briggs Institute International Colloquium 2014, 10 Nov 2014

Professor Lyle Palmer, Chair and Head of School, Translational Health Sciences, Executive Director, Joanna Briggs Institute, University of Adelaide,

Professor Chee Yam Cheng, Group Chief Executive Officer, National Healthcare Group,

CEOs,

Distinguished speakers, guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Introduction

1             Good morning. I am delighted to join you this morning for the opening ceremony of the 9th Biennial Joanna Briggs Institute International Colloquium, 2014. I thank Professor Lyle Palmer, Chair and Head of School, Translational Health Sciences, and Executive Director, Joanna Briggs Institute, University of Adelaide, for giving Singapore this valuable opportunity to host the international colloquium for the first time.

2             To our overseas delegates, a warm welcome to Singapore. I do hope that you will find some time to explore Singapore and our places of interest.

Addressing the importance of evidence-based practice in healthcare

3             Evidence-based practice has gained much needed momentum in healthcare and plays a pivotal role in facilitating the translation of research findings into healthcare practices and policies. Such well implemented evidence from relevant and valid research yields better patient outcomes.

4             To help guide Singapore’s healthcare professionals, the Ministry of Health (MOH) publishes evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to guide the management of common clinical conditions. Our guidelines are developed by multi-disciplinary groups which systematically review and appraise evidence from scientific research, to make recommendations appropriate for the local context.

5             The MOH is also introducing health technology assessment for medical devices and implants to ensure that these devices and implants are clinically beneficial and cost-effective. As part of this initiative, MOH is working with the public hospitals to set up Institutional Medical Device Committees that help ensure rational selection and utilisation of new medical devices based on evidence, similar to the existing Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committees for drugs.

6             Constructing the ideal evidence-driven landscape for innovation and best practices requires collaboration from healthcare organisations, health professionals, administrators, policy makers and sponsors. It is only through such an integrated approach that care for our patients will be delivered consistently.

7              As such, the theme of today’s colloquium, “Scaling New Heights: Challenging the Status Quo” is timely and relevant as it seeks to challenge current best practices to bring about changes for new treatments, patient management and models of care.

A platform for healthcare professionals to learn and collaborate

8             I understand that since the inception of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) in 1996, it has grown from a small group of seven Centres, located predominantly in Australia, to a recognised global leader in evidence-based healthcare. Today, the Institute has more than 80 Collaborating Centres and Entities around the world.

9             I am particularly encouraged that Singapore has three Joanna Briggs Institute Collaborating Centres. These three centres are testaments of our healthcare workers’ passion and determination to improve care for our patients. I would like to highlight some examples of the excellent work of the three centres.

10          The first is the JBI-Health Services & Outcomes Research Collaborating Centre on Evidence-based Health Services Management. This was established in 2008 and this National Healthcare Group Centre is unique amongst the JBI collaborations. Some of its reviews have made significant impact to healthcare delivery, particularly in the area of diabetes care. For example, in screening for diabetic retinopathy using digital photography, the current relatively low cost single visual field Digital Retinal Photography (DRP) used in the primary care setting was found to be as effective as the gold standard approach involving seven visual fields. This has helped to keep the screening affordable, accessible and scaleable. The centre also compared the effectiveness of self-monitoring of blood glucose in patients with diabetes. The review found that self-monitoring for blood glucose is only effective in patients on treatment with oral medication and insulin, and not amongst those on dietary control and exercise. This has impacted the implementation of diabetes care in our polyclinics and GPs.

11          The second centre is the JBI-National University Hospital Collaborating Centre for Evidence-Based Nursing formed in 2009.  With the support of the centre, nurses in NUH piloted a project on safe and timely removal of intravenous catheters at the Coronary Care Unit. This new clinical practice has reduced the incidence of phlebitis by 84%, from 57 incidents in 2012 to just 9 in 2013. I am really proud of our nurses who have taken personal interest in finding ways to provide safer and more effective care for our patients through evidence-based practice.

12          The third is the JBI-Institute of Mental Health (IMH) (Singapore) Centre for Evidence-Based Practices in Mental Health Care. Started as an affiliated centre in 2010, and achieving its collaborating centre status in 2013, the JBI-IMH Centre is also the only mental health centre amongst the international JBI collaborations. The centre has conducted a systematic review of the effectiveness of current interventions for assessing and preventing falls in adult psychiatric patients, and the evidence has been translated into a care plan. The average fall rates have since been reduced by 5.3%. Another best practice implementation project on nursing inter-shift handover processes in the mental health setting has also led to enhanced service delivery and patient safety in IMH.

Conclusion

13        In conclusion, I again thank the Joanna Briggs Institute for giving Singapore the honour of hosting your international Colloquium and commend the three JBI Collaborating Centres in Singapore for bringing together over 400 distinguished scientists, practitioners and educators from 29 countries to this Colloquium. This spirit and passion for knowledge sharing, deliberation and discussions of scholarly works will go a long way to effect decisions and shape policy-making, resulting in better patient care and healthcare outcomes and models of care.

14        On this note, I declare the 9th Biennial Joanna Briggs International Colloquium, 2014, open.

Thank you.