SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) will launch a call for general practitioners (GPs) to join its Primary Care Networks (PCN) scheme on Apr 1.
Participating GPs will be able to tap on funding and administrative support to implement team-based care to better monitor and manage their patients’ healthcare needs, the ministry said in its press release on Wednesday (Mar 29).
Under the scheme, MOH will provide funding and administrative support to GPs to form virtual networks and deliver care as multi-disciplinary teams which include doctors, nurses and other supporting staff. This support includes funding for nurse counsellors and care coordinators, as well as support to establish chronic disease registries, it added.
The GPs who are part of the scheme will have to follow stipulated clinical requirements, such as establishing a chronic disease registry for more effective monitoring and early intervention of patients’ clinical and care outcomes, according to the press release.
“Patients will be able to access nurse counsellors for individualised advice to manage their conditions, including lifestyle and dietary modifications,” MOH said. “There will be closer monitoring of their chronic conditions for earlier intervention, and more convenient access to services such as diabetic foot and eye screening.”
The application call will close on May 31 this year, the ministry said.
- CNA/kk
Source: channelnewsasia.com