In healthcare, a human-first approach must come before technology

At some point in their careers, many technology leaders come to the same conclusion.

True digital success is achieved when the people who use the technology matter more than the gee-whiz nature of the coding and implementation.

For Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) Assistant Chief Operating Officer and Co-Chair of the Digital Think Tank (DTT), Jan Lim, that realisation has been reinforced over time and sharpened when she moved from technical leadership into an operational role.

Seeing the transformation from the operations side also clarified another lesson: progress depends on whether people feel safe enough to speak up early, especially when the fastest path is not always the safest one.

Speaking to GovInsider, Lim shares one incident that illustrates why psychological safety matters for genuine transformation.

During a pre-implementation discussion, a team member raised concern that the way users were authenticating could unintentionally broaden access beyond the intended group.

Instead of dismissing this as “overthinking” or slowing down the pilot, the team openly debated the tradeoffs on user friction versus risk exposure and moved quickly toward an interim safeguard while planning a more robust, longer-term approach.

Lim observes that while it is easy to label this incident as a technical insight that accidentally popped up during a brainstorming session, it actually highlights something more profound.

“The point is cultural when someone feels safe enough to challenge the default path, and the organisation treats the challenge as responsible leadership rather than resistance.

“In healthcare, the cost of silence is high. Psychological safety is how you surface weak signals early before they become incidents,” she notes.

Lim, who won the Digital Leader of the Year Award at GovInsider’s Festival of Innovation (FOI) 2026, took this lesson forward by driving an organisation-wide digital transformation that puts people first.

The premise behind the Because of You movement is simple.

True digital success stems from cultural inclusivity and psychological safety of staff, rather than just technical implementation. 

Lim recalls that the movement stems from a very practical observation: “We kept asking staff to adopt new workflows, learn new tools, and navigate change, yet the emotional reinforcement was inconsistent”, she says.

Healthcare is high-stakes, fast-paced, and emotionally demanding, so it is easy for good work to become “normal” and therefore, invisible.

Lim adds that the Because of You movement tackles this by making the “everyday courage of our people visible”.

Outcomes are delivered by people, not systems

“The movement reminds us that outcomes are not delivered by systems or buildings; they are delivered by people.”

Lim also makes an important distinction: The movement is participatory, not performative.

“It is not a one-off campaign; it is about building a steady rhythm of noticing, acknowledging, and learning.

“That is why we profile staff stories and create spaces where their voices can be heard, not just to celebrate, but to normalise the idea that stepping forward, trying something new, or raising a concern is valued,” Lim says.

On the choice of the phrase “Because of You”, which is often used to honour or recognise external donors, Lim gives an interesting reply.

“Our staff are the ones who absorb complexity, uncertainty, and change every day.

“If we want a culture where people speak up, innovate, and continuously improve, then recognition cannot be reserved only for major wins or senior leaders. It must reach the ground where most risks are detected, and most improvements originate,” she says.

Because of You is a cultural shorthand to say: “We see you, your effort matters, and your voice matters.”

 The response from healthcare workers has been encouraging because it is relatable, Lim adds.

When staff see colleagues profiled and celebrated in authentic ways, it sends a message that courage and contribution are recognised, not taken for granted.

Technology cannot work against reality

Lim played a key role in establishing the IT infrastructure for Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) and Jurong Community Hospital (JCH) and held different leadership positions.

“Over time, I realised that even the most elegant technology can fail if it works against reality, which is the cognitive load of clinicians, time pressure on the ground, and the unpredictability of care delivery,” Lim shares.

As more “tech sexy” solutions enter the market, there is an almost natural tendency to look for a problem to justify the technology, rather than the other way around, Lim notes.

“Sometimes a use case is stretched, and sometimes one is created, simply to stay at the forefront of innovation.”

Having lived on different sides, first as a technologist, and now as an operational leader and end user, I see this as a flaw in the system, Lim says.

Technology, she notes, should be pulled by real needs, not pushed by novelty.

“When the starting point becomes the tool instead of the problem, we risk adding complexity rather than value.”

Lim reiterates a point she made earlier.

“The most successful transformations I’ve seen are grounded in a simple discipline starting with the people and the problem, designing with them, and only then deciding whether technology truly helps.

“Technology scales capability, but people determine whether that capability translates into safer care and better outcomes,” she adds.

Digital maturity double-edged sword

NTFGH has achieved HIMSS Stage 7 validation by implementing an integrated electronic medical record system and linking over 1,000 medical records.

Despite this, Lim adds a note of caution.

“High digital maturity can easily become a double-edged sword. If we are not careful, it creates an unspoken message that systems are ‘too advanced to question’ and this is dangerous in healthcare.”

As co-chair of the Digital Think Tank at NTFGH, Lim notes that the approach has been very deliberate in pushing back against this “tech passionate” approach.

“Our stance is simple: technical excellence does not excuse silence. In fact, the more advanced the system, the more important it is for staff to challenge it when something feels off.”

Practically, this means “we design digital adoption so that it feels inclusive rather than elitist with multiple on-ramps, small wins, and clear permission that not understanding something is acceptable”.

According to her, a problem flagged early is a sign of professionalism, not weakness.

“When people start treating systems as untouchable, organisations lose their last line of defence.

She says that her job as a leader is to make it clear that no matter how mature technology is, human judgment always outranks the system.

Balancing priorities

As both a people and technology leader, Lim needs to balance priorities.

“This is easier in a high-trust culture because trust reduces the ‘hidden tax’ of transformation, such as defensive behaviour, slow escalations, and silent workarounds.

“When staff feel respected and recognised, they are more likely to share what they are really worried about, whether it is security exposure, operational friction, or patient safety impact”, she says.

That transparency makes trade-offs clearer, as the movement anchors decisions back to a shared intent “that we are not choosing security or efficiency; we are choosing what best protects patients and supports staff to do good work”.

“In that sense, culture becomes a navigation system for complexity, and technology becomes the tool, not the driver.

“Trust is what allows hard trade-offs to be made transparently without losing people along the way,” she adds.