CY. Chen, Director of Asia Pacific Business Strategy at CSRone, and SC. Ni, Assistant Manager of Asia Pacific Business Strategy, interviewed two core medical units from Singapore before the "2024 APAC Healthcare Sustainability Transition Forum". They met with Jeremy Lee, Assistant COO of the National University Hospital of Singapore (NUHS), and A/Prof Yeo Khung Keong, Deputy Group Chief Medical Informatics Officer (Research) at SingHealth, to discuss promoting medical system adjustments through "low carbon operation" and "smart co-creation" to create new health experiences and discoveries.

Low-carbon operations: NUHS promotes structural value concepts and changes from system-driven behavior

CY. Chen, Asia-Pacific Business Strategy Development Director of the CSRone sustainability think tank, pointed out that if we look at the ranking of national emissions, the total emissions from the global medical system are enough to rank among the fifth largest emitters in the world. With increasing focus on climate change, medical institutions face pressure to reduce their carbon footprint from operations like air-conditioning, lighting, and anesthetic gas use. Balancing carbon reduction with high-quality patient care remains a significant challenge for managers.

（Jeremy Lee, assistant COO of the National University Hospital of Singapore, said in an interview that sustainable development and transformation are promoting medical industry units to move towards more high-value and high-impact service models and directions／Image: CSRone）

"It is easier to achieve sustainability goals by working together as a group than by working alone. While acknowledging partial responsibility for climate change, it is important to ensure that everyone has a shared vision for the future." Jeremy Lee, assistant chief operating officer of the National University Hospital of Singapore (NUHS), noted that the Singapore government has announced its plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. In recent years, there has been increased cooperation between industry, government, the public, and the international community. To support these efforts, the National University of Singapore will establish Asia's first Center for Sustainable Medicine in March 2024. The aim is to use structure to drive the behavior change, encouraging overall employee behavior change to achieve consistent carbon reduction goals.

Jeremy believes supervisory staff should prioritize sustainability to motivate grassroots employees in implementing green initiatives. He emphasized that this mechanism ensures consistent goals among leaders, sets ambitious emission targets, links green actions with employee performance and promotions, and fosters a culture supporting sustainability within the organization.

NUHS uses this method to accurately invest in emission reduction projects.

Over 160 sustainable projects have been implemented at NUHS, mostly proposed by hospital staff. These include adjusting meal proportions to provide adequate nutrition, reducing food intake by approximately 2,000 kilograms per year, and lowering waste disposal costs. To avoid increasing carbon emissions through excessive resource investment, NUHS uses marginal abatement value curve analysis to assess and prioritize carbon reduction projects. This helps focus resources on initiatives with the greatest economic and emission reduction benefits.

NUHS uses IoT and sensors to monitor hospital resource usage, including electricity, water, air conditioning, and medical equipment. They share data trends with stakeholders to show progress in energy management and emission reduction. This transparency boosts internal carbon reduction awareness and embeds sustainability goals into daily work, fostering a low-carbon work culture. NUHS demonstrates that through technology, medical institutions can enhance operational efficiency and support carbon reduction, making low-carbon transformation a key strategy for overall efficiency improvement.

Smart transformation: SingHealth makes “smart medical” innovation a key to operational resilience

Extreme climate events increase medical demand and challenge system stability. Smart medical rates are crucial for strengthening resilience. SingHealth, one of Singapore's largest public medical institutions, recognizes the importance of resilience in future services. They aim to use smart medical technology flexibly and respond quickly to emergencies, such as emerging infectious diseases, to provide continuous high-quality care.

The introduction of smart therapy and digital technologies, such as the Internet of Things and electronic health records, can improve the efficiency and reach of medical services by enabling doctors and medical staff to serve more patients and conduct remote monitoring. However, Yang Kongjian noted that even with the potential benefits of smart medical technology in terms of return on investment, accuracy, and speed of judgment, there may still be challenges if it is not seamlessly integrated into the clinical workflow. Therefore, Yeo Khung Keong advised medical units to consider three major issues when implementing smart transformation:

1.Integrate AI and new technologies into current systems and workflows

AI technology should be seen as a tool to enhance efficiency, not a cure-all. Success depends on integrating AI with existing medical operations so that both staff and patients can embrace it, easing their burden.

2.Prioritize necessity and focus on quantifiable results.

When using technology in healthcare, prioritize patient needs and track results, like saving lives or improving health outcomes, to ensure substantial benefits and medical value.

3.Continue to pay attention to the development and application of emerging technologies

Besides AI, blockchain technology has evolved significantly and warrants attention. Though less popular now, its value in ensuring data accuracy, completeness, and traceability is crucial. Blockchain prevents data tampering, enhances transparency, and can impact clinical decision-making and patient safety.
（A/Prof Yeo Khung Keong, Deputy Group Chief Medical Informatics Officer (Research) at SingHealth believed that integrating humanistic values into emerging technologies will greatly impact the core medical industry.／Image: CSRone）

SingHealth focuses on medical innovation that prioritizes human value and develops patient-centered care, rather than pursuing innovation for its own sake.

With the rise of new technologies, many organizations have pursued novelty over meaningful innovation. A/Prof Yeo Khung Keong stresses the importance of evaluating the benefits of emerging tools for human use, considering their impact on natural resources. SingHealth, focusing on "human value," has developed a wearable device for the elderly to monitor blood pressure and oxygen levels at home. They also integrated chatbot technology into healthcare services, launching a chest pain risk assessment tool that prioritizes patients and schedules tests, improving efficiency and patient care.

SingHealth collaborates with A*STAR to implement smart medical care through government policies and industrial cooperation. By focusing on "people-oriented" innovations, SingHealth balances technology with human needs, proving that smart medical care can address extreme climate challenges and maintain humanistic care, resulting in resilient and high-quality healthcare. （From left to right: CY. Chen, Director of Asia Pacific Business Strategy at CSRone, A/Prof Yeo Khung Keong, Deputy Group Chief Medical Informatics Officer (Research) at SingHealth, Gennie Yen, Founder and CEO at CSRone and SC. Ni, Assistant Manager of Asia Pacific Business Strategy／Image: CSRone）

The dual-track revolution of SingHealth and NUHS enhances medical resilience and creates an eco-friendly, technologically innovative medical ecosystem. Through "low-carbon operations," they reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, positively impacting the climate. The "smart transformation" ensures flexibility in facing climate risks, providing high-quality medical services under any circumstances. This approach promotes a sustainable medical system and fosters a win-win future for human health and the global environment.

Sub-editing: SC. (Tracy) Ni