Singapore creating national health index
By Medha Basu
Could help evaluate health programmes and identify weaknesses.
The Population Health Index will help hospitals and researchers develop better tailor their services to citizens’ needs. It could also be used to evaluate current health programmes in the community, identifying areas with weaker services.
The initiative is led by National Health Group, a cluster of clinics, hospitals and specialist centres in Singapore.
The group is leading a three-year study in the city’s central district to create the index. Starting this month, the group will interview 7,200 citizens and permanent residents.
They will answer 138 questions in face-to-face interviews, including on physical and mental health, nutrition, cognition, lifestyle, quality of social life and use of health services. The data will be anonymised and used to develop the index.
Survey participants will be aged 21 years and above, and randomly selected from residents in the city’s central district.