National Healthcare Group embarks on three-year population health survey

7,200 residents will be reached in two phases.

An effective and efficient healthcare system is dependent on population health data. Bolstering its healthcare initiatives, Singapore’s National Healthcare Group (NHG) starts its study to better understand the current state of health of residents in the Central Region 1.

According to a statement by the NHG, its researchers from the Health Services and Outcomes Research will collect data to form a Population Health Index to have an indicator of the physical, mental, and social health status of the population.

“The survey marks a vital first step in establishing a baseline of the general health status of an average Singaporean living in the Central Region. Such information will help healthcare providers design more effective and strategic programmes to improve the health of the community,” the statement said.

The Population Health Index Study will span three years and will be funded by NHG. It will be divided in two phases, with the first phase beginning this month, while the second will commence in 2017.

“Phase 1 seeks to use the data from the population health survey to create and validate a Population Health Index. Phase 2 aims to establish normative Population Health Index scores for the population,” NHG said.

For the participant, NHG says a list of household addresses in the Central Region will be randomly selected from the National Database on Dwellings in Singapore.

“Selected households will receive an Invitation Letter from NHG with the assigned interviewer’s name and contact number indicated. The interview will use the Kish grid2 to identify a household member from each selected household address to participate in the survey when they visit the house,” NHG explained.