Patients who are visiting SingHealth Polyclinics (SHP) for the first time can now complete their registration faster via the SingPass Mobile app. All they will need to do is to scan a QR code using their SingPass Mobile app and follow a few simple steps. Please refer to Annex A.
SHP collaborated with Integrated Health Information Systems (IHiS) and GovTech to pilot this service in November last year at Punggol Polyclinic, and further rolled out this initiative to all its remaining seven polyclinics in late July this year. To date, more than 1,400 patients have experienced the convenience of this initiative.
Compared to traditional registration methods, registration via the SingPass Mobile app will reduce the processing time to register a new patient by half, from an average of 6 minutes per patient to 3 minutes per patient. This helps to alleviate the crowding situation at the clinic registration counters, which is especially important during this COVID-19 period.
“At SHP, we are constantly innovating to improve patient experience and operational efficiency in our polyclinics. We are heartened to receive many positive patient feedback from this pilot project, and we believe that the new registration process will bring more convenience to our new patients. Meanwhile, the usual registration methods will still be available for patients who may not have or need more help with the use of smart phones.” said Ms Loke Chui Yee, Chief Operating Officer, SHP.
Apart from first-time patients, existing patients can also leverage SingPass Mobile to update their personal information and contact details with ease. This will help SHP to maintain accurate patients’ contact details, which is especially important when we need to reach them during critical situations.
“I think it’s very convenient to use. I just need to scan the QR code with my SingPass Mobile app to update my profile. In addition, I am also very used to scanning QR codes now because it is the norm to do so when we check-in to places with SafeEntry,” said Madam Ho Bee Lan, age 65, an existing patient at Punggol Polyclinic.
“The successful pilot at Punggol Polyclinic demonstrated how technology can enhance patient experience in the clinics. In addition to studying how this initiative can be scaled to the rest of the public healthcare system, IHiS identified more use cases using SingPass Mobile to improve the citizens’ experience in the public healthcare sector. For example, we are exploring the adoption of biometric authentication technology for verification purposes, as well as digital signature to facilitate paperless transaction such as consent forms. These are possible initiatives that can potentially enhance security and convenience for those visiting the public healthcare institutions,” said Guai Eng Chun, Director, Product Management & Delivery, IHiS.
“We understand the need to minimise physical touchpoints for patients visiting healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 period. Polyclinics are a key foundation of Singapore’s primary healthcare system, with a large number of patients visiting polyclinics daily for subsidised health services. SingHealth Polyclinics’ integration of Verify with SingPass offers a secure and contactless identification process for patients to register at the clinics. By expanding this digital service to all SingHealth polyclinics, we hope to do our part to provide a seamless registration experience for patients and healthcare staff and keep them safe from Covid-19. We will continue to work with industry partners to build more seamless services that leverage SingPass Mobile to create even greater value and convenience for their users,” said Mr Kwok Quek Sin, Senior Director, National Digital Identity, GovTech.
