At risk of heart disease? New study in Singapore aims to predict such outcomes

There is a study currently being conducted to predict if an individual is at risk of developing heart disease, and this is one of a number of research developments to improve patient care announced by Health Minister Gan Kim Yong on Friday (Sep 23).

Speaking at a scientific congress by SingHealth Duke-NUS, Mr Gan said the research project will study the genetics and clinical markers of 20,000 healthy individuals and heart disease patients.

The study is a collaboration between teams from the National Heart Centre Singapore, SingHealth Duke-NUS and the Infocomm Media Development Authority, he added. 

Another study being conducted looks at a transitional care programme at Singapore General Hospital and how it has an impact on hospital readmission, he added.

The programme identified high-risk patients and provided healthcare services after their discharge, and it showed between 20 to 30 per cent reduction of hospital readmission risk and length of hospital stay, as compared to the control group.

The study will be expanded to support up to 5,000 high risk patients.

FREE HEALTHCARE EDUCATION PORTAL LAUNCHED 

At the event, Mr Gan also launched a free healthcare education portal, Learningin10.com, to provide healthcare professionals and members of the public with bite-sized medical content. 

The digital media library has information on common medical fields such as cancer, infectious diseases, paediatrics and surgery. Each module is a 10-minute presentation video with a voice-over explanation, and was put together by medical specialists and faculty members from the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre.

The portal is targeted for busy healthcare professionals and anyone keen to learn more about medicine.