Pandemic-related health literacy: a systematic review of literature in COVID-19, SARS and MERS pandemics.

Introduction: Health literacy plays an essential role in one's ability to acquire and understand critical medical information in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infodemic and in other pandemics. We aimed to summarise the assessment, levels and determinants of pandemic-related health literacy and its associated clinical outcomes.

Methods: A systematic review was performed in Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL and four major preprint servers.

Implementation of social prescribing: lessons learnt from contextualising an intervention in a community hospital in Singapore.

The need to develop holistic public health approaches that go beyond treating the biological causes of ill health, to addressing the social determinants of health, have been highlighted in the global health agenda. Social prescribing, where care professionals link individuals to community resources that tackle social needs have gained increasing traction worldwide. In Singapore, SingHealth Community Hospitals introduced social prescribing in July 2019 to manage the complex health and social needs of the aging populace.

Elderly patients over 80 years undergoing colorectal cancer resection: Development and validation of a predictive nomogram for survival.

Background: Surgery remains the primary treatment for localized colorectal cancer (CRC). Improving surgical decision-making for elderly CRC patients necessitates an accurate predictive tool.

Aim: To build a nomogram to predict the overall survival of elderly patients over 80 years undergoing CRC resection.

Clinical outcomes and cost comparison of laparoscopic versus open surgery in elderly colorectal cancer patients over 80 years.

Purpose: The growth of Singapore's geriatric population, coupled with the rise in colorectal cancer (CRC), has increased the number of colorectal surgeries performed on elderly patients. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes and costs of laparoscopic versus open elective colorectal resections in elderly CRC patients over 80 years.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) identified patients over 80 years undergoing elective colectomy and proctectomy between 2018 and 2021.

Lessons learned from the hospital to home community care program in Singapore and the supporting AI multiple readmissions prediction model.

In a prior practice and policy article published in Healthcare Science, we introduced the deployed application of an artificial intelligence (AI) model to predict longer-term inpatient readmissions to guide community care interventions for patients with complex conditions in the context of Singapore's Hospital to Home (H2H) program that has been operating since 2017. In this follow on practice and policy article, we further elaborate on Singapore's H2H program and care model, and its supporting AI model for multiple readmission prediction, in the following ways: (1) by providing updates on the AI and supporting information systems, (2) by reporting on customer engagement and related service delivery outcomes including staff-related time savings and patient benefits in terms of bed days saved, (3) by sharing lessons learned with respect to (i) analytics challenges encountered due to the high degree of heterogeneity and resulting variability of the data set associated with the population of program participants, (ii) balancing competing needs for simpler and stable predictive models versus continuing to further enhance models and add yet more predictive variables, and (iii) the complications of continuing to make model changes when the AI part of the system is highly interlinked with supporting clinical information systems, (4) by highlighting how this H2H effort supported broader Covid-19 response efforts across Singapore's public healthcare system, and finally (5) by commenting on how the experiences and related capabilities acquired from running this H2H program and related community care model and supporting AI prediction model are expected to contribute to the next wave of Singapore's public healthcare efforts from 2023 onwards. For the convenience of the reader, some content that introduces the H2H program and the multiple readmissions AI prediction model that previously appeared in the prior Healthcare Science publication is repeated at the beginning of this article.

Association of Social Support with Rehabilitation Outcome among Older Adults with Hip Fracture Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study at Post-Acute Care Facility in Asia.

Objectives: There is growing interest in the role of social support during the recovery after hip fractures. The research to date has been mainly focused on structural support, with few studies concerned with functional support. This study examined the effects of both functional and structural aspects of social support on rehabilitation outcomes among older adults with hip fracture surgery.

Factors Influencing the Uptake of Seasonal Influenza Vaccination among Community-Dwelling Older Adults during COVID-19: A Mixed Methods Study.

: Despite making the influenza vaccine accessible and affordable, vaccination rates remained low among community-dwelling older adults. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the factors influencing vaccine uptake and the impact of COVID-19 on vaccine uptake among community-dwelling older adults in Singapore. A mixed methods study involving a survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted between September 2020 and July 2021.

mHealth App to Facilitate Remote Care for Patients With COVID-19: Rapid Development of the DrCovid+ App.

Background: The 2019 novel COVID-19 has severely burdened the health care system through its rapid transmission. Mobile health (mHealth) is a viable solution to facilitate remote monitoring and continuity of care for patients with COVID-19 in a home environment. However, the conceptualization and development of mHealth apps are often time and labor-intensive and are laden with concerns relating to data security and privacy.

Digital Intergenerational Program to Reduce Loneliness and Social Isolation Among Older Adults: Realist Review.

Background: There is a compelling need for an innovative and creative approach to promote social connectedness among older adults to optimize their well-being and quality of life. One possible solution may be through a digital intergenerational program.

Objective: This realist review aimed to identify existing digital intergenerational programs that were used to reduce loneliness or social isolation among older adults and analyze them in terms of strategy, context, mechanisms, and outcomes.

Building Digital Literacy in Older Adults of Low Socioeconomic Status in Singapore (Project Wire Up): Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Background: In a rapidly digitalizing world, the inability of older adults to leverage digital technology has been associated with weaker social connections and poorer health outcomes. Despite the widespread digital adoption in Singapore, older adults, especially those of lower socioeconomic status (SES), still face difficulties in adopting information and communications technology and are typically digitally excluded.

Objective: We aimed to examine the impact of the volunteer-led, one-on-one, and home-based digital literacy program on digital literacy and health-related outcomes such as self-reported loneliness, social connectedness, quality of life, and well-being for older adults of low SES.

Impact of COVID-19 Measures on Discharge Planning and Continuity of Integrated Care in the Community for Older Patients in Singapore.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic affects the process of care transition for patients with underlying chronic conditions. This study aims to explore the impact of the pandemic measures on discharge planning and continuum of care for vulnerable older patients from multi-stakeholder perspectives.

Methods: We conducted focus group discussions and individual interviews with healthcare workers, community partners, government officials and family caregivers in Singapore.

Global developments in social prescribing.

Social prescribing is an approach that aims to improve health and well-being. It connects individuals to non-clinical services and supports that address social needs, such as those related to loneliness, housing instability and mental health. At the person level, social prescribing can give individuals the knowledge, skills, motivation and confidence to manage their own health and well-being.

COVID-19-Related Vaccine Hesitancy among Community Hospitals' Healthcare Workers in Singapore.

COVID-19 has culminated in widespread infections and increased deaths over the last 3 years. In addition, it has also resulted in collateral economic and geopolitical tensions. Vaccination remains one of the cornerstones in the fight against COVID-19.

Manipulative and body-based methods in chronic kidney disease patients: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Background: and purpose: Among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, manipulative and body-based methods (MBM) have demonstrated efficacy in improving symptoms such as fatigue. This review aims to summarize the efficacy and safety of MBM among CKD patients.

Methods: A systematic review was performed in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, CENTRAL and PsycInfo.

A qualitative study of challenges and enablers faced by private general practitioners providing primary care to patients with complex needs in Singapore.

Background: Singapore faces an ageing population with increasingly complex healthcare needs, a problem which could be addressed by high quality primary care. Many patients with complex needs are not managed by private general practitioners (GPs) who form the majority of the primary care workforce. Currently, there is paucity of literature describing the needs of these private GPs in providing such care.

Feasibility & Efficacy of Deprescribing rounds in a Singapore rehabilitative hospital- a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Deprescribing is effective and safe in reducing polypharmacy among the elderly. However, the impact of deprescribing rounds remain unclear in Asian settings. Hence, we conducted this study.

Osteoporosis awareness among patients in Singapore (OASIS)-a community hospital perspective.

Unlabelled: This study examines factors associated with osteoporosis awareness and knowledge using Osteoporosis Prevention and Awareness Tool (OPAAT). Of 410 patients, majority of patients had a OPAAT score < 24 (n = 362, 88.3%).

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy-A Scoping Review of Literature in High-Income Countries.

Vaccine hesitancy forms a critical barrier to the uptake of COVID-19 vaccine in high-income countries or regions. This review aims to summarize rates of COVID-19 hesitancy and its determinants in high-income countries or regions. A scoping review was conducted in Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus and was reported in accordance with the PRISMA-SCr checklist.

Measurement Properties of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Diabetes: Systematic Review.

Background: The management of diabetes is complex. There is growing recognition of the use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) as a standardized method of obtaining an outlook on patients' functional status and well-being. However, no systematic reviews have summarized the studies that investigate the measurement properties of diabetes PROMs.

Blockchain Personal Health Records: Systematic Review.

Background: Blockchain technology has the potential to enable more secure, transparent, and equitable data management. In the health care domain, it has been applied most frequently to electronic health records. In addition to securely managing data, blockchain has significant advantages in distributing data access, control, and ownership to end users.