SINGAPORE: More patients will be able to receive hospital-type care at home with the expansion of a “virtual” ward pilot programme to more public healthcare institutions, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) and MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation (MOHT) on Monday (Aug 7).
The Mobile Inpatient Care-at-Home (MIC@Home) pilot, first launched in April 2022, offers patients the option to be cared for in their own homes instead of a hospital ward.
Selected patients with conditions classified under general medicine, like skin infections, can be admitted to a “virtual” ward, where they will have round-the-clock access to care delivered by a team of healthcare professionals via teleconsultations and home visits until deemed fit for discharge.
Following its implementation at hospitals under the National University Health System, Singapore General Hospital and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, MIC@Home has been expanded to four more hospitals: Changi General Hospital (CGH), KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), Sengkang General Hospital (SKH) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).
“The pilot will bolster future hospital planning and add bed capacity buffer for the healthcare system,” said MOHT, adding that MIC@Home serves to provide appropriate care for patients in a more comfortable environment without sacrificing care outcomes.
“The care they receive, as well as resulting outcomes, are expected to be non-inferior to that in hospitals.”
As of June 2023, around 1,000 patients have benefitted from the programme, resulting in an estimated savings of 7,000 bed days.