Introduction to Digital Healthcare in Singapore
Singapore’s national health tech agency, Synapxe, is set to announce new digital healthcare applications, solutions, and partnerships following significant government investment. The Ministry of Health announced SG$200 million ($150 million) funding over five years to implement new AI technologies as part of a "centralised push" to scale their integration into system-wide, national healthcare system projects.
Government Investment in AI Technologies
The government intends to promote the uptake of generative AI tools to "automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks, such as documentation and summarisation of medical records." It aims to roll out a genAI-powered solution for automating the update of health records by the end of 2025. This investment is expected to revolutionize the healthcare industry in Singapore and improve the efficiency of healthcare services.
Support for Healthcare Professionals
Synapxe launched a genAI learning repository, GenAIus Hub, and the Synapxe Tandem, which provides prompt templates for exploring and testing genAI applications at scale. "We understand that not all healthcare professionals are comfortable using some of these technologies, especially in the newer fields like AI, largely due to a lack of familiarity or confidence in using these tools. To address this, Synapxe seeks to support public healthcare institutions by equipping them with the knowledge and the platforms to enable them to tap into AI and its tools more easily in their work," Andy Ta, Synapxe chief data officer and director of Data Analytics and AI, said.
Encouraging Innovation
The agency is also hosting competitions that encourage healthcare practitioners to utilise genAI applications in real-life use cases and upskill in operationalising large language models through a gamified approach. This initiative is expected to foster innovation and encourage healthcare professionals to explore the potential of AI in healthcare.
Exploring Agentic AI
Beyond genAI, which generates new content based on learned patterns, Singapore is also exploring the potential application of agentic AI in healthcare. "One area of particular interest in the coming years is the use of agentic AI, which has the potential to revolutionise healthcare by performing tasks autonomously with decision-making capabilities and goal-directed behaviour," Ta shared. This innovative approach allows AI systems to adapt to new situations and interact dynamically with their environment.
The Larger Trend
Over the past two years, Synapxe launched platforms and programs promoting the adoption and integration of AI. One of these is AimSG, an open, vendor-neutral platform providing hospitals and primary care centres with access to a range of medical imaging AI models that can be hot-swapped and deployed quickly. Among models, Lunit’s chest X-ray solution has been piloted at Changi General Hospital, Singapore General Hospital, and the National Health Group Polyclinics. A cloud-based platform, HEALIX, went live last year, allowing users to safely conduct analytics projects and quickly access comprehensive data for developing AI models.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Singapore’s national health tech agency, Synapxe, is making significant strides in promoting the adoption of AI in healthcare. With the government’s investment and support, healthcare professionals are expected to be equipped with the knowledge and platforms to tap into AI and its tools more easily. The exploration of agentic AI and the launch of new platforms and programs are expected to revolutionize the healthcare industry in Singapore and improve the efficiency of healthcare services.
FAQs
Q: What is Synapxe?
A: Synapxe is Singapore’s national health tech agency.
Q: What is the government’s investment in AI technologies?
A: The government announced SG$200 million ($150 million) funding over five years to implement new AI technologies.
Q: What is genAI?
A: GenAI is a type of AI that generates new content based on learned patterns.
Q: What is agentic AI?
A: Agentic AI is a type of AI that has the potential to revolutionise healthcare by performing tasks autonomously with decision-making capabilities and goal-directed behaviour.
Q: What is AimSG?
A: AimSG is an open, vendor-neutral platform providing hospitals and primary care centres with access to a range of medical imaging AI models.
Q: What is HEALIX?
A: HEALIX is a cloud-based platform that allows users to safely conduct analytics projects and quickly access comprehensive data for developing AI models.
