Allied health professionals key to battling chronic illnesses
Allied health professionals can ease the strain on the healthcare system while helping people to take charge of their health
The recent National Day Rally saw the extension of the Community Health Assist Scheme, and the unveiling of the Merdeka Generation healthcare package aimed at bettering healthcare access and affordability for Singaporeans who most need it.
While financial support will certainly provide some much-needed aid, what of the roles of community and the individual in tackling the nation's healthcare issues?
A closer look at the Healthcare Manpower Plan 2020 released two years ago indicates that plans were already in place to spread out the responsibility of healthcare from within the hospital, out to the larger community.
It is a movement that will require substantial effort and time, but allied health professionals (AHPs) are well-poised fill the gap in today's healthcare landscape.
Specifically, AHPs will alleviate some of the pre-existing strain on our healthcare system, as well as empower individuals to take accountability for their own health.
This is in addition to their ability to provide treatment to patients when drugs are not the answer to a patient's condition.
Singapore's reliance on institutions for healthcare has its roots in the past, where centralised healthcare was the most effective approach against acute diseases like tuberculosis and smallpox.
Hospitals and clinics became our go-to solutions for any health problems we face.
It is a model that does not work in today's era of chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension, leading to challenges such as long waiting times for consultations and a shortage of hospital beds.
Facing limited resources, collaborative efforts among doctors, nurses and AHPs are more essential than ever for effective patient care.
Polyclinics and GPs develop a close relationship with the same patients they treat regularly, but they, too, suffer from the same manpower crunch that plagues the larger industry.
This is a problem that AHPs can alleviate by sheer force of numbers, ensuring that patients have access to the care they need, when they need it.
Still, patients have complex, diverse needs, and they increasingly need a multi-disciplinary team to manage different aspects of their health.
A healthy life also cannot exclude mental wellness.
According to the Singapore Mental Health Study 2010, one in 17 people in Singapore have suffered from a major depressive disorder in their lifetime.
Sufferers are often not easily identified and they may not be aware of their need for medical attention.
Psychiatrists can help people to manage these psychological issues before they spiral out of control. They can assess a person's mental state, provide diagnosis and use a range of treatments to provide handles for the patient to return to a better state than before.
But what about patient engagement?
Much of what happens between our medical appointments determines the trajectory of our health, for better or worse, which is why it is so critical for individuals to keep up with preventive care.
After seven successful trials, the chronic disease self-management programme conducted by AHPs will expand into more places around Singapore.
Senior citizens can expect to participate in a six-month programme with workshops, where they will learn more on topics like disease knowledge, nutrition and breathing techniques to manage their own chronic illnesses.
The writer is managing director, Core Concepts Group, the largest private physiotherapy group in Singapore.
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