At Tan Tock Seng Hospital, we want to create a Hospital Without Walls - where our care does not start or stop within the walls of our hospital, but goes beyond, so that care is delivered anytime, anywhere, and for anyone.
Started in 2023 right after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and amidst higher staff workload, the TTSH Smart Ward (Ward 5C) reimagines the future state of inpatient care by adopting a sandbox approach rapid test bed innovations in a real-world patient environment.
Utilising the innovation cycle, the Smart Ward integrates care and process redesign, IT automation and job redesign. Falls-preventing smart beds, delivery robots, predictive sensors, and assisted shower devices are among the many smart technologies which are already in operation inside our Smart Ward.
The Smart Ward aims to improve patient's outcomes, improve the experiences of both patients and caregivers, and improve clinical experience and cost effectiveness. The Smart Ward launched in February 2023 in an acute subsidised medical ward, where it provides a space for experimentation and exploration of new ideas tested in a real patient setting.
As our society becomes older, so will our patients and our workers. It is crucial that we leverage innovation to tackle new determinants of health such as frailty and create a nimbler workforce not burdened by repetitive and labour-intensive tasks,"
- Dr Hoi Shu Yin, Chief Nurse at TTSH
The Smart Ward drives change through a two-pronged approach, combining top-down strategies with ground-up initiatives, and evaluates them at a system level – assessing their impact and value when integrated with existing processes.
Patients actively participate in experiencing and co-creating innovations, while the Smart Ward team orchestrates their integration.
Explaining how the adoption gap is tightened, Ms Lim Mei Ling, Smart Ward Lead and Senior Nurse Manager, TTSH, stressed the need for all stakeholders to be in close proximity. She said, "The Smart Ward is helmed by a multi-disciplinary care team of doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and administrators aligned in their aims of bringing value to both patients and staff. We've been given the agility and autonomy to ensure collective decisions – to scale or not to scale further – can be made and implemented fast and safely without being belaboured by conventional approval processes. Patients and their caregivers also provide their feedback to us as we look to continuously provide features that are purposeful for all."
Since its inception, the Smart Ward has expanded to include am acute surgical subsidised ward, continuing its mission to drive and thrive healthcare innovations.
To date, more than 20 innovative projects have been tested, with 14 initiatives already in place – leading to increased efficiency and effectiveness. In the next 1 to 2 years, another 20 initiatives are in line to be rapid tested and scaled to bring tomorrow's health closer to us today.