Why the HIA is Needed

Enabling Seamless Care Across Healthcare Settings

Singapore is transforming healthcare delivery – from being hospital-centric to community-based care. Patients will receive care from a wider range of healthcare providers, not just at public hospitals and polyclinics, but also at home or in the community. The sharing of patients’ key health information across settings and service providers is therefore essential. Today’s situation is not ideal – when patients move between healthcare providers, their key health records are often not accessible across providers. Such gaps can risk medication errors, delayed treatment, as well as duplicate tests and procedures. The Health Information Act (HIA) therefore serves to achieve: “One Patient, One Health Summary, One Care Journey”.