Woodlands Health Campus to use AI and robotics for patient care

By Medha Basu

The new facility in Singapore will be a “pioneer” in use of tech, the Health Minister said.

The new Woodlands hospital in Singapore will be a “pioneer” in the use of tech for patient care, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong announced today.

The Woodlands Health Campus will use artificial intelligence and robotics. It will use AI to analyse large amounts of data, Channel NewsAsia reported. The hospital has said that this will make diagnosis more accurate, and services cheaper and faster.
Meanwhile, logistics for delivering food, housekeeping and equipment will be automated with robotics. This will free up nurses to spend more time with patients.

Patients will wear electronic wristbands that will allow nurses to monitor their vitals remotely in the hospital and after they are discharged. This could include features like monitoring rehabilitation sessions, medication times, heartbeat and sleep patterns, the hospital said.

Patients will complete administrative processes like check-in, registration, ordering medication and payments online.

“I have challenged the WHC team to be bold in the adoption of smart technology, automation and IT innovations, and incorporate these in its design of the new campus - from building design to hospital operations, from care delivery to patient experience,” Minister Gan said.

“Technological tools such as data analytics and artificial intelligence can augment the care they provide, maximising patient outcomes at each touch point,” he added.

The 1,800-bed Woodlands facility broke ground today and will be opened in stages from 2022.

It will integrate an acute hospital with community hospital and long-term care facilities. “This would enable WHC to better integrate care, break organisational boundaries and enable patients to seamlessly move from one facility to another according to their care needs,” the minister said.