nccs salubris issue 28 p7

LIFESTYLES AND CANCERS

AN NCCS QUARTERLY PUBLICATION January – March 2014

Issue No. 28 • MICA (P) 061/10/2010

Salubris is a Latin word which means healthy, in good condition (body) and wholesome.

...HELPING R EADERS TO ACHIEVE GOOD HEALTH

TREATMENT INVOLVES ONLY CHEMOTHERAPY OR ONLY SURGERYIncreasingly, more cancers need a variety of treatments for better results. These include chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy.

BUSTING CANCER MYTHS

WORRYING RISE OF ‘LIFESTYLE CANCERS’Cancer is on the rise in Singapore – especially those linked to bad habits associated with the modern lifestyle, including smoking and eating too much.

A ccording to figures from two years ago, which are the latest available, 12,123 people were diagnosed with cancer, up from 10,576 in 2008.

This marks an increase of nearly 15 per cent.

One reason for these numbers, said National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) director Professor Soo Khee Chee, is an ageing population. The NCCS is Singapore’s leading cancer treatment and research centre.

“In developed countries like ours, people are living longer. Previously, people would die before they got cancer,” he said.

But what is more worrying is how “lifestyle cancers” such as prostate, breast and colorectal cancers are contributing to the rise.

Prostate cancer cases went up by 52 per cent from 2003 to 2012, when cases of breast cancer also rose by 25 per cent.

These cancers are among the top three most commonly found in men and women respectively. They are also known as “developed world cancers” because they are associated with the lifestyle in these countries.

A factor that increases the chance of getting cancer is smoking, said Prof Soo. “Overall, the rate of smoking is moving downwards, but there is a trend of more younger people here taking it up,” he said.

Health Promotion Board figures from 2010 showed that 16 per cent of young people aged 18 to 29 smoked regularly, up from 12 per cent in 2004.

Other factors contributing to the rise of cancer here are poor diet and lack of exercise, because we are “overfed and eating the wrong food”, said Prof Soo.

Having fewer children and having them later also increase a woman’s chances of getting cancer, he added.

Cancer remains the No.1 killer in Singapore, with 30 per cent of deaths in 2011 caused by the disease. This is five times more than deaths caused by accidents, violence and poisoning together.

But the outlook is not all bleak.

The chances of getting cancer can be lowered dramatically by modifying one’s lifestyle. Stopping young people from smoking, for instance, “will almost decrease cancer deaths by a third if we succeed”, Prof Soo said.

Some of the most common cancers are also those which have the highest survival rates.

Breast cancer – the most common cancer in women - has a five-year overall survival rate of 89 per cent. This means that 89 of every 100 people diagnosed with breast cancer were still alive after five years. The corresponding figure for lymphoma sufferers is 70 per cent, while that for colon cancer was 60 per cent.

“Cancer is not a death sentence,” said Prof Soo. “It would be a pity if cancer patients go into despair or give up because they think that way.”

© The Straits Times 2014 reproduced with permission

MYTH

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SMOKING DOESN’T NECESSARILY CAUSE CANCEROf course there have been lifelong smokers who escape cancer but in general, the more and longer you smoke, the more likely you are to get cancer.

DOING BIOPSY SPREADS THE DISEASECancer spreads through a much more complicated biological process. BIOPSIES WILL NOT CAUSE CANCER TO SPREAD.

CANCER IS A DEATH SENTENCECertain cancers – including several of the most common – have fairly high survival rate. For instance, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is 89 per cent, while that for lymphoma is 70 per cent.

NO PAIN MEANS NO CANCERBy the time cancer patients FEEL PAIN, it could mean the disease is at a FAIRLY ADVANCED STAGE.

Prof Soo Khee Chee, CEO of NCCS, believes that modifying one’s lifestyle can lower the chances of getting cancer.

2 3SALUBRIS JANUARY – MARCH 2014 SALUBRIS JANUARY – MARCH 2014

BRINGING DISNEY TO NCCSDo theme parks and cancer centres have anything in common? The immediate response that comes to mind might be “no”. But not for Dr Terence Tan, NCCS Director of Quality Management. Parks like Disney’s Customer Care Philosophy are important to his goal of enhancing Service Quality in NCCS. This is the man who, in the last four years, has led his team to develop the softer side in patient care to become an institution with a heart – where patients are treated with not only the best equipment possible, but also with empathy and patience. In this candid interview, Dr Tan shares with SUNNY WEE why Service Quality is so important, the challenges he faces and his aspirations for the NCCS Cares programme.

Q: WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES YOU FACED WHEN YOU WERE ASKED TO TAKE CHARGE OF SERVICE QUALITY AND ALL THE RELATED ISSUES?

When I was first appointed to be Director of Quality Management (QM) in April 2009, I had no prior experience with service quality. My experience with quality management was from having been chair of the Radiation Oncology department’s Quality Committee and a member of the institution’s Radiation Safety Committee.

The Quality Management Department that I took over from my predecessor Dr E. J. Chua did not just deal with Service Quality (SQ). It also dealt with Quality Management, Licensing, and also the functions of the Health Performance Office.

So my challenge really was leading the department and learning all its various functions. For SQ, it was learning about the management of feedback, specifically, analyzing data and learning from the feedback collected, and working with the various departments to improve on identified weak areas. The other big area was complaint management. This is a difficult area as it requires patience and calmness when dealing with an angry complainant, and some experience and skill to resolve the issues.

A particular challenge in those early days was the fear or reluctance to be found deficient or weak. The defensiveness against audits, investigations and complaints was quite strongly felt in those early days but it has improved quite a bit over the last few years. Our colleagues have now learnt to appreciate what we do, they are much more cooperative though resistance is still felt in some areas.

Q: WHEN WAS THE MANDATE GIVEN TO BRING THE LEARNING POINTS FROM THE THEME PARK?

I was appointed Director of Quality Management in April 2009. The mandate to bring Disney to NCCS was given in July the following year.

Q: WHAT WAS IT THAT YOU DID TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES? HOW DID YOU PRIORITIZE THEM?

Even as I was new to Quality Management then, I think so was NCCS. Up till that point, the monitoring of quality was mainly in response to requirements to report to the Ministry of Health, its Healthcare Performance Office, and also SingHealth. We needed to start setting our own quality agenda. It was a mandate which came with the appointment as Director of Quality Management.

The first priority was to create a quality framework for NCCS and formulate the institution’s Quality and Patient Safety (QPS) Policy. Having attended the SIM Disney course helped greatly in this. Many of the important elements of what we had learnt at that course like the importance of good leadership, building a culture, establishing quality standards, and uniting all staff under one common purpose were incorporated into our current quality framework.

Together with the formulation of our QPS Policy came our first two-year quality plan. This was necessary for driving the quality program of the institution. With this, the leadership could systematically monitor the state of quality throughout the institution, and all departments and staff would be progressively encouraged to make improvements in their area of work.

In defining quality for our quality framework, we realized that what was important was not just how good or how advanced the treatment we gave was. What was equally important was how we delivered that care. It was what the patient felt or experienced which mattered as well.

Thus, Service Quality became an integral part of our quality framework. It is described under “Best Experience” and Service Quality indicators have been on the two-year Quality Plan ever since.

Q: WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE NOW?

Although NCCS Cares has been fully launched and all staff should know about it, it has not fully taken root in the organization. The reasons for this are many. The content of the programme is quite extensive. It cannot be fully absorbed after the initial launch programme.

We try to sustain it with regular refreshes where we emphasize one behavioural expectation every month. We put up posters as reminders for what all staff is supposed to do. We require all departments to review and discuss these behavioural expectations during their roll calls and department meetings. Through such discussions, leaders affirm the importance of service quality to their staff and help them find ways to put it into practice. Although the SQ department tries very hard and uses various means to push the programme, unless everyone renews their commitment, the programme will not be effective and will eventually die.

Q: HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH OUR PROGRESS SO FAR?

We have made some progress but much more needs to be done. Knowledge and practice of the contents of the programme is patchy throughout the organization. I dare say there are segments of staff who have completely forgotten all that we have tried to teach them. I have to think up new ways all the time to get staff involved in the programme.

Q: WHAT WERE THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT POINTED US TO TURN TO DISNEY FOR TRAINING?

To develop service quality as a distinguishing mark for NCCS, we developed a patient experience excellence programme in conjunction of Disney Institute. This happened after some of us attended the three-day “Disney Keys to Excellence” course organised by SIM from 7 – 9 Aug 2009.

We felt that it was one of the best courses we had ever attended. It was really different from any other improvement courses we had attended before and collectively, we felt that it would actually work for us.

As a follow-up to the course, we planned a special retreat so that we could share what we had learnt with the leadership of NCCS. We then got our Director, Prof Soo Khee Chee’s approval to adopt the Disney programme of customer experience excellence for NCCS.

Thus began a year-long collaboration with Disney Institute to customize a programme for NCCS based on our requirements and using Disney principles. The programme, eventually named “NCCS Cares” was launched in three phases – first to the senior leadership, then to the other line managers, supervisors and identified service champions, and finally to all other staff.

Q: WHAT ARE THE KEY BUG BEARS THAT CONTINUE TO HAUNT SQ EVEN AFTER INTRODUCING ALL THE CAMPAIGNS?

Based on our feedback data, the top three complaints are (1) waiting time, (2) staff attitude, and (3) communication of service information. This is sad because in NCCS Cares, we teach staff that “we offer our patients hope by offering the best care, by having the best people and by doing the best research.” We also teach them that “Best Experience” for our guests comes from “compassionate care delivered efficiently in a conducive environment.” We teach them “to treat our guests and colleagues with courtesy, respect and dignity.” To be fair though, our compliments outnumber our complaints X to Y so we should be encouraged that there are more people doing good than not, but it does remind us that the battle is far from won.

Dr Terence Tan with the winners of Singapore Health Quality Service Award 2013 (Silver Award), NCCS Senior Staff Nurses, Ms Teo Lay Cheng (in white, left) and Ms Teo Lay Choo (right). Extreme left is Senior Nurse Manager, Ms Jenna Teo.


N CCS went for its first accreditation and was certified with the gold standard as a JCI

accredited organisation in 2010. It is the only ambulatory cancer centre in the region to be accredited. The accreditation is a symbol of affirmation for the quality care we provide to patients and our commitment to patients’ interest and well-being.

To uphold the centre’s standards and continuously improve to meet the demands for patient safety and quality of care, NCCS prepared for its reaccreditation in September 2013, under the stewardship of A/Prof Lim Soon Thye. Over five days, the Joint Commission surveyors carried out an intensive inspection to evaluate NCCS compliance with JCI standards.

NCCS ACHIEVES JCI REACCREDITATION, THANKS TO ALL STAFFBY SITI ZAWIYAH Executive Corporate Communications

National Cancer Centre Singapore has been reaccredited the Joint Commission International (JCI)!

ABOUT JCI

JCI is an accreditation body that focuses on improving safety of patient care through advisory, the provision of accreditation and certification services as well as educational services aimed at helping organisations implement practical and sustainable solutions. It is dedicated to improving the quality of health care through voluntary accreditation and carries out surveys every three years. To learn more about JCI, visit www.jointcommissioninternational.org.

From reviewing medical records, contracts, infection control and medication management tracers, to interviewing our staff and observing our patient care processes, NCCS was under great scrutiny by the surveyors.

The results were extremely complimentary and on 27 September 2013, NCCS was officially notified of the successful JCI Reaccreditation. This is a testament to the strong teamwork and cooperation achieved through close collaboration and hard work of the different departments. With this reaccreditation, NCCS will continue to expand and develop its services to provide better care for its patients.

NCCS JCI Steering Committee with JCI surveyors.

ADDING A PERSONAL TOUCH BY LIN SHUANGCHUN Executive Volunteer Management

A visit to the hospital is fearful for many. This is even more so for patients who come to the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) alone for consultation and treatment. Surely, having a companion or a helping hand would lessen the fear and make such visits a little more bearable.

R ecognising that there is a need to fill this service gap, the Service Quality Management Unit and

the Volunteers Management Unit at NCCS came together to collaborate on a Patient Greeters Programme. This programmme aims to enhance the overall patient experience at NCCS by adding a more personal touch through the help of volunteers. These volunteers, known as Patient Greeters, don a bright yellow vest and a welcoming smile to warm the hearts of patients who come to the specialist clinics for their appointments. The Greeters help to register patients for their appointments, take their height and weight as well as attend to other simple non-medical tasks that patients may need help with.

Since the launch of the programme on 18 November last year, more than 20 volunteers have signed up to be a Patient Greeter and act as a pillar of support for cancer patients at NCCS.

The volunteers come from all walks of life. There are students, working adults, and retirees. Even patients, current and former of NCCS, returned to help. They expressed their desire to do good and wished to play their part in making a difference in the life of another fellowman.

Lyn, a cancer patient said, “I am a patient of NCCS and I have always been very well cared for by the staff here. When I was approached to be a Patient Greeter, I wanted to do the same for other cancer patients.”

Yao Bin, a college student who started volunteering at NCCS recently, shared that she felt inspired by the stories that she has heard from cancer survivors. She also described her reason for joining the NCCS Patient Greeters programme as “being part of miracles that happen if one never gives up fighting against cancer.”

Jee, a retired nurse, found the programme to be a meaningful initiative and expressed, “It feels good being able to lend a helping hand and giving back to society”.

The positivity of the programme was further affirmed by Angeline, a Patient Relations Officer at NCCS Specialist Outpatient Clinic D. She commented that the Patient Greeters have been a great help in the operations of the clinic during peak periods. Winson, the Concierge Officer also commended the good work done by the volunteers who asked for nothing in return to help make NCCS a friendly place for patients and visitors.

If you are considering being a volunteer, why not join the NCCS Volunteers Programme?

Photo: Francis Leong, NCCS

Photo: Francis Leong, NCCS

We are always looking out for passionate individuals who can commit their time to make a difference in the lives of our patients. Please write to [email protected] or call 63763642 to find out more. You may also visit the NCCS website at www.nccs.com.sg/Giving/Volunteer/Pages/Home.aspx for more information.

Patient Greeters (from left to right) Yao Bin, Si Ying and Juile, lend their helping hands at NCCS.


OVER $419,000 FOR SINGHEALTH PRESIDENT’S CHALLENGE 2013!After four months of fervent participation of SingHealth cluster, the SingHealth President’s Challenge 2013 was brought to a close with resounding success. Even though a cheque of $408,000 was presented to President Tony Tan at the finale event on 19 October 2013 to sum up SingHealth cluster’s efforts, the final total amount raised for President’s Challenge 2013 came up to an astounding $419,000 - the highest raised to date! This achievement was the culmination of many months of intense but highly rewarding fundraising and community outreach.

A ll eyes were on National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) as the institution took its turn to hold the baton and drive the

SingHealth group in the challenge. Indeed, it took much effort to rally staff as well as healthcare and community partners to raise funds for the needy and the underprivileged, but the community spirit and strong camaraderie shown across the institutions soon took over and many started to care, began to give, and continued to give.

“As a public healthcare institution, we wanted to inculcate the spirit of philanthropy in the midst of our daily work; and to create a sense of community togetherness in raising funds for the beneficiaries of the President’s Challenge. To this end, we decided on a theme on ‘Hope to Care; Care to Hope’ to meet our challenge! Overall, it turned out to be a very positive experience for all, both internally and externally through our corporate partners,” said Dr Sherman Ong, Chief Development Officer, NCCS, who led the SingHealth President’s Challenge 2013 Steering Committee.

Staff came together to volunteer their time and energy to carry out a series of fundraising activities in their institutions through pledge card donations, charity bazaars, Cycle for a Cause, table soccer and charity lunch, and many other personal endeavours such as the contribution of Simon Ho’s orchid photography compilation book, “Orchids of Splendour: A face of Singapore”.

NCCS organised a Movie-cum-Makan fundraising event, where donors were treated to a movie screening of the then unreleased telemovie “Recipe” – commissioned by the Health Promotion Board, helmed by renowned award-wining director, Eric Khoo; followed by Penang’s Hawker Fare at York Hotel for a gastronomic treat in authentic Penang cuisine.

On the efforts of NCCS, Prof Soo Khee Chee, CEO of NCCS said: “In many ways we could not have accomplished what we have done if not for the generosity of the many well-wishers who sponsored some key fundraising events. The variety of activities from movie screening to Penang food fare added some spice to the menu of events.”

As an institution, NCCS had targeted to raise $16,000 for the President’s Challenge but broke that target with $17,406 as the total amount raised.

Year 2013 marked SingHealth’s tenth year partnering the President’s Challenge to raise funds for its adopted beneficiaries. For President’s Challenge 2013, SingHealth adopted three beneficiaries - namely, Bright Vision Hospital, Life Community Services Society and New Hope Community Services.

BY SITI ZAWIYAH

Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong, presented a token of appreciation to Prof Soo Khee Chee, CEO of NCCS for the institution’s participation and effort in President’s Challenge 2013.

A contribution by Simon Ho: “Orchids of Splendour: A face of Singapore” book

Various charity bazaars were set up across the institutions.

Caring through community outreach.

Cycle For A Cause organised by Singapore General Hospital.

Movie-cum-Makan fundraising event organised by National Cancer Centre Singapore.

Table soccer organised by KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Photos: Francis Leong, NCCS

Photos: Francis Leong, NCCS

Photo: Francis Leong, NCCSSingHealth cluster presenting a cheque of $408,000 to President Tony Tan at the finale event of SingHealth President’s Challenge 2013.


SPECIAL THANKSRFH 2013 was successful with the support of our participants, volunteers and the following partners:

Official Run Venue Partners Marina Bay Singapore | Urban Redevelopment Authority

Run Pack Venue Sponsor Orchard Central

Official Privilege Card PAssion Card

Sponsors Pontiac Land Group | Zero Spot | Green Grocer | Headhunt

Donors Bayer Healthcare | Natixis | Roche | SMB Electric

Supporters August Man | August Woman | Civic Ambulance | Copper & Clay | Institute of Technical Education | Marketing Institute of Singapore | Republic Polytechnic | Run Society | Singapore Civil Defence Force | Temasek Polytechnic | University of Nevada, Las Vegas Singapore | Zalora Singapore

RUN FOR A REASON, RUN FOR HOPE BY GILLIAN TAN Executive Marketing Communications

Run For Hope (RFH) 2013 reached a new milestone with more than 11,000 participants taking part in the 3.5km and 10km routes at The Promontory @ Marina Bay on 17 November 2013, making this the largest turnout in the event’s history. Among the runners were 16 senior management executives, who took the lead in supporting RFH 2013 by taking on the Executive Challenge which is into its second year.

T he run was flagged off by Guest-Of-Honour, Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health, who also showed her support by taking part in the 3.5km family run/walk.

Partnering NCCS since 2008, this is the 21st year for organisers, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore and Regent Singapore in organising the charity run. Through Run For Hope 2013, over $465,000 was raised.

Besides raising philanthropic support, RFH works towards building the much needed awareness in cancer research that saves lives as well as providing hope and moral support towards cancer patients and families.

You can join NCCS in beating cancer in various ways! Contact us at [email protected]. Together, for a cancer-free tomorrow.

Ms Mabeline Yeo, a first-time participant of RFH, recalled her experience with a cancer patient while making her way to the Run - “Seeing me in the RFH T-shirt, a lady came over and thanked me on behalf of all cancer patients (including herself), for running for them. I was taken aback, but really appreciated this gesture from her. I could feel that the message had been sent across to them.”

To create a more memorable run, all runners were encouraged to personalise their running bibs to share why they were supporting the event. It was heartwarming and inspiring to see thousands of runners supporting one cause with various reasons.

Images of creative bibs with encouraging messages were also shared with the public via Instagram. Attractive prizes courtesy of Four Seasons Group of Hotels & Resorts as well as Golden Village were won by the most creative submissions.

I run for… the good service I received in SGH when I had Melanoma.


NCCS WIG BANKBY SERENE GOH Senior Staff Nurse Cancer Education & Information Service

Alopecia or hair loss during chemotherapy is one of the common side effects and is usually temporary. The hair takes about 3 to 6 months to grow back after the treatment is completed. Depending on the drugs and dosage, sometimes the hair will also start growing even when the patient is receiving treatment. Some ladies may want to know where to get a wig fitted, buy or loan one during the treatment period to manage this temporary hair loss.

T he NCCS Wig Bank was launched in 1998 – the same year the Look Good… Feel Better™ programme also started. The programme is supported by Singapore Cancer Society.

At National Cancer Centre Singapore, we believe in going the extra mile to help patients in their battle against cancer by providing pertinent support that helps them cope with the disease. The main objective of NCCS Wig Bank is to support ladies to cope with their hair loss during cancer treatment. We believe that patients can still look good even if they are undergoing treatment and using a wig is one of the options available.

Due to our humid climate however, not many patients who are experiencing hair loss find wigs useful and comfortable. There are some who developed sensitive scalp or skin during the course of treatment as well. Thus, the use of hats and scarves is another alternative.

Over the years, NCCS is fortunate to have kind donors and cancer survivors who have donated wigs - both new and used, and beautiful hand-knitted or crocheted hats to support our cause. Ms Koh, one of our donors and a cancer survivor, shared with us, “During my chemotherapy treatment a few years back, I had a hard time looking for a suitable wig or hat. Now that I have survived, I hope my (crochets) contribution will help those patients in need.” Indeed, these beautifully crocheted hats have been handmade with love.

新加坡国立癌症中心假发库吴诗玲高级护士癌症教育与资讯服务

脱发是接受化疗常见的副作用之一，一般只是暂时性的。病患在完成治疗的3到6个月后就会自然长出新发。视药物的类型和剂量而定，病患有时也可能在接受治疗的期间长出新发。一些女病患或许想知道，到哪里可以订做、购买或租用假发，以应付头发暂时性脱落的问题。

If you know of someone who may benefit from our service, encourage them to contact us at Cancer Helpline at 6225 5655 to fix an appointment for wig fitting and styling, and loan of pre-loved wigs or hats.

We welcome any wigs or headgears donations. Used wigs in usable conditions will be restored. Your kind contribution will aid us in helping more ladies improve their self-esteem towards their journey to recovery. For more information on Look Good… Feel Better™, do log on to http://www.singaporecancersociety.org.sg/wwd-look-good-feel-better-programme.shtml or contact the NCCS Patient Support at 6436 8126 to find out the schedule at NCCS.

新加坡国立癌症中心于1998年成立了假发库。获得新加坡防癌协会支持的“容光焕发”(Look Good… Feel Better™) 计划也在同一年推出。

新加坡国立癌症中心全体人员相信，我们应提供病患所需的支持，协助他们应付病情，借此为同病魔搏斗的他们多尽一份力。成立假发库的主旨是帮助女病患在接受癌症治疗时应付脱发的问题。我们相信，病患即使是在接受治疗，也能显得精神焕发，而戴假发是改善仪容的其中一种选择。

然而，由于本地气候潮湿，许多面对脱发问题的病患都觉得戴上假发不舒服，所以用途不大。一些病患也会在接受治疗的过程中出现头皮或皮肤敏感的问题。因此，戴上帽子或裹上丝巾是另一种选择。

这些年来，新加坡国立癌症中心有幸得到善心者和癌症幸存者捐出的全新或曾经用过的假发以及漂亮的手工针织或钩织帽子，以对我们的假发库表示支持。其中一名捐赠的幸存者许小姐（译音）和我们分享道：“我在几年前接受化疗时，找了很久都找不到合适的假发。如今我战胜了病魔生存下来，我希望我的钩针织品能帮助到其他有需要的病患。” 的确，这些精美的钩针帽是用爱心制作出来的。

如果你有认识的人能从此项服务获益，请

鼓励他们拨打癌症援助热线6255 5655与

我们联系，以便预约试戴假发和学习梳理造

型，以及租用（曾用过的）假发或帽子。

我们也很乐意接受公众捐赠的假发或头

套。我们会把曾经用过，但状态完好并仍

可使用的假发重新修复好。您的慷慨捐赠

将让我们帮助更多女病患在康复的过程中

重拾自信心。预知更多有关“仪容亮丽”

计划或活动的详情，请上网http://www.singaporecancersociety.org.sg/wwd-look-good-feel-better-programme.shtml或致电新加坡国立癌症中心病患支

援热线6436 8126。


RECOGNISING THE EFFORT TO CUT WAITING TIME FOR PATIENTS

For a good two years, unnoticed by many at NCCS, four people were staying back after office hours to brainstorm, and tinker with an electronic gadget, not knowing if at all their efforts would come to naught.

L ed by the Deputy Director (Nursing), Ms Chan Mei Mei, the team was conducting trials but with a difference. Theirs wasn’t the sort of scientific clinical trials with graduated cylinder, microscope, or petri-dish. Theirs was

a trial to test the deployment of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) innovation into our chemotherapy appointment management process.

After crossing many hurdles, their hard work paid off. Thanks to their success today, NCCS patients enjoy an 8% reduction in waiting time for treatment at the Ambulatory Treatment Unit (ATU). The added value that this system provides included real time visibility of the appointment management by the front counter staff, pharmacists and nurses to move patient flow more efficiently, thus improving throughput of the unit.

Today, NCCS is able to treat 20% more patients and about 80% of its patients wait no more than an hour for their treatment at the centre. In fact, the system has saved 825 hours per year of nurses’ time, which would otherwise have to be spent by nurses to manually search for available chairs to treat patients once drugs are available. The adoption of this technology also allowed ATU to send an sms reminder to the patient 30 minutes before their treatment. This system also allows the scheduler to receive a prompt to shift the patient to another resource if the earlier patient has to extend their treatment.

Known as Real Time Ambulatory Patient Information Deployment Enabler (RAPIDE), the system was developed by NCCS in partnership with Singapore Communications (Wavex) Pte Ltd (Subsidiary company of Hong Kong Communications Group) and Integrated Health Information Systems Pte Ltd (IHIS) who facilitated the total process from conceptualisation to implementation of the project.

With funding from SingHealth and A*Star, Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology whose aim is to promote scientific research and talent for a knowledge-based Singapore, Ms Chan together with Ms Mag Tan, Senior Nurse Manager, Ms Grace Lim, Senior Executive at the Specialist Outpatient Clinic, and Ms Er Wei May of IHIS, are now able to look back with much satisfaction and pride.

Their work has been roundly applauded and they have been invited to showcase it at the PS21 ExCEL Convention 2013 held on 14-15 Nov. The Singapore Public Service, PS21 is a people-centered mass movement that encourages public officers to embrace change in their daily work in order to keep the Public Service at the leading edge.

More than that, their project has won a double bronze award at Hong Kong RFID award in 2013, organised by GS21, a not-for-profit industry-led global body dedicated to the design and implementation of global standards and solutions to improve the efficiency and visibility of supply and demand chains.

STEP 1: Front counter staff uses Rapide system to register a patient and issues her a RFID tag.

STEP 2: Patient wears tag and receives an SMS 30 mins before her appointment.

STEP 3: RFID readers on the walls and ceilings detect signals from the tags, and together with sensor mats on the recliners or beds, transmit data to the system to pinpoint the patients’ and nurses’ locations.

STEP 5: Patient drops tag into the dissociation box once she completes treatment. Rapide then releases the resource for another patient.

NCCS RAPIDE SYSTEM PATIENT FLOW

The NCCS project won bronze under the Best EPC/RFID Implementation as well as under the Most Innovative Use of EPC/RFID. The NCCS project is titled “RFID Ambulatory Treatment Unit Management”.

The team had also presented the project at the 9th RFID World Asia 2012 on 25 April 2012 in Singapore.

Explaining the rationale for the project, Ms Chan said that the impetus for embarking on this project was due to the long patients wait time in ATU. Variability of treatment duration, and being the ‘reservoir’ of the entire patient process including blood taking and consultation has resulted in patient’s dissatisfaction. The timely treatment interventions and optimal delivery of care are vital for ensuring quality of services that NCCS provides.

“When patients arrive at the registration counter, they are given an active RFID tag to wear. Pharmacist would prepare, dispense and update the drug status into the system so that the nurse can call the patient. Once the patient sits on the allotted chair/bed, and the assigned nurse’s tag is being picked up by the reader, the system would be updated. The system is colour coded to enhance visibility and facilitate ease of utilisation,” said Ms Chan.

Once treatment is completed, the patient deactivates the tag by dropping it into a dissociation box. If treatment time for a patient has to be extended, the attending nurse pushes the extension button, and the system flags this extension. The patient in the queue can then be transferred to another bed/chair without unnecessary waiting time. Manual intervention is allowed if there is a delay in the system due to weak signal.

In addition to significantly reducing waiting time and freeing up the nurses’ time from searching for vacant chairs/beds and looking for patients, this system is saving the reception staff 744 hours a year which they used to spend faxing clinic staff on patient appointments.

In November, all four NCCS project team members flew to Hong Kong to attend the award presentation ceremony – a well-deserved trip!

BY SUNNY WEE

STEP 4: Rapide shows a recliner is occupied on the computer screen, when sensor mats and RFID readers transmit signals from the patient’s and nurse’s RFID tags.


Upcoming Event Date, Time, Venue

Cancer Awareness Roadshow

ACTIVITIES: Cancer Information Poster Exhibits, Breast Self-Examination education counter, Cancer Information booklets sign-ups, Upcoming events registration, and Game booths (tokens of participation will be given out!)

22 & 23 February 2013, Saturday & Sunday

10am – 6pm

Woodlands Civic Centre

OUTREACH – PUBLIC FORUMS & CANCERWISE WORKSHOPS

Event Date, Time, Venue Registration

English Public Forum –Improving Cancer Treatment: Today’s Research, Tomorrow’s Cure

TOPICS:• How cancer research improves patient care

in the clinic?• How can I benefit from joining clinical trials?• Tissue and blood for research: The what,

why and hows• What is translational research and how it

can benefit patient• Safeguarding patient’s interests• Sharing of patients’ experiences

11 January 2014, Saturday

ENGLISH SESSION Time: 11.00am to 3.00pm (Registration: 10.30am to 11.00am)

Peter & Mary Fu Auditorium National Cancer Centre Singapore 11 Hospital Drive Singapore 169610

Free Admission

Strictly No Admission for children below 12 years old. Registration is a MUST as seats are limited.

REGISTRATION IS BY PHONE ONLY

Please call: 6225 5655 / 6236 9447 / 6236 9432

Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm

Bilingual Public Forum –Emerging Role of Traditional Medicine In Cancer Care

TOPICS:• Overview o f Traditional Medicine• How does it complement conventional

cancer treatment?• Potential herb and drug interactions• Understanding the side effects

15 February 2014, Saturday

MANDARIN SESSIONTime: 9.15am to 10.30am (Registration: 9am to 9.15am)

ENGLISH SESSIONTime: 11.15am to 12.30pm (Registration: 11am to 11.15am)


Free Admission



Please call: 6225 5655 / 6236 9447 / 6236 9432


CancerWise Workshop –Basics of Cancer Part 1

TOPICS:• What is cancer?• Contributory factors to cancer• Risk, Signs & Symptoms• Prevention & Screening

15 February 2014, Saturday

Session will be conducted in English.

Registration : 1pm Workshop : 1.30pm to 4.00pm


Free Admission



Please call: 6225 5655 / 6236 9447 / 6236 9432


The information is correct at press time. NCCS reserves the right to change programmes or speaker without prior notice.

OUTREACH – PUBLIC FORUMS & CANCERWISE WORKSHOPS

Event Date, Time, Venue Registration

English Public Forum –Trim Your Risk of Getting Colorectal Cancer

TOPICS:• Anatomy & functions of the colon and rectum• Common bowel problems• What is Colorectal Cancer?• Risk factors & Signs and symptoms of

colorectal cancer• Early detection & prevention• Screening & diagnostic procedures• Treatment options• New development in Colorectal Cancer

8 March 2014, Saturday

ENGLISH SESSION Time: 11.15am to 12.30pm (Registration: 11am to 11.15am)


Free Admission



Please call: 6225 5655 / 6236 9447 / 6236 9432


CancerWise Workshop –Basics Of Cancer Part 2

TOPICS:• Diagnosing cancer• Cancer staging and grouping• The common elements of staging systems• Cancer treatments options • Advances in cancer treatments

22 March 2014, Saturday

Session will be conducted in English.

Registration : 1pm Workshop : 1.30pm to 4.00pm


Free Admission



Please call: 6225 5655 / 6236 9447 / 6236 9432


The information is correct at press time. NCCS reserves the right to change programmes or speaker without prior notice.


SEMINARS / FORUMS / TUMOUR BOARDS / SMC-CME ACTIVITIES

SEMINARS / FORUMS / TUMOUR BOARDS / SMC-CME ACTIVITIES

FEBRUARY 2014 Date Time Event Information CME Pt Registration Contact

6, 13, 20, 27 11.30am Lung Tumour Board Combine SGH-NCCS Meeting@ SGH Blk 2 Level 1, Radiology Conference Room

1 Christina Lee Siok Cheng 6326 6095 [email protected]

21 1.00 pm Journal Club Topic: To be advised Speaker:@ NCCS level 1, Mammo Suite Discussion Room

Phua Chay Sin 6436 8043 [email protected]

28 1.00 pm Teaching Session Topic: To be advised Speaker:@ NCCS level 1, Mammo Suite Discussion Room

Phua Chay Sin 6436 8043 [email protected]

27 7.30 am Endocrine and Rare Tumour Meeting@ NCCS Level 2, Clinic C, Discussion Room

Tan Si Xuan / Rachel Tan 6436 8280 / 6436 8172 [email protected]/ [email protected]

27 5.00 pm NCCS Neuro Onco Tumour Board Meeting@ NCCS Level 2, Clinic C, Discussion Room

Low Peak Wah / Ang Hui Lan 6436 8165 / 6436 8174 [email protected]/ [email protected]

MARCH 2014Date Time Event Information CME Pt Registration Contact

5, 12, 19, 265, 12, 19, 263, 10, 17, 24, 31

4.30 pm5.00 pm5.00 pm

NCCS Tumour Board Meetings:Sarcoma Tumour Board MeetingGeneral Surgery Tumour Board Meeting Head & Neck Tumour Board Meeting@ NCCS Level 2, Clinic C, Discussion Room

111

V. Kalai / Lim Shufen 6436 8924 / 6436 8283 [email protected] / [email protected] 6436 8592 [email protected]

5, 12, 19, 26 1.00 pm Hepatobiliary Conference@ NCCS Level 4, Peter & Mary Fu Auditorium

1 Lim Shufen / V Kalai 6436 8283 /6436 8294 [email protected] / [email protected]

6, 20 5.00pm NCCS – SGH Joint Lymphoma Workgroup Meeting@ NCCS Level 2, Clinic C, Discussion Room

1 Tan Si Xuan / Rachel Tan 6436 8280 / 6436 8172 [email protected]/ [email protected]

6, 13, 20, 27 11.30 am Lung Tumour Board Combine SGH-NCCS Meeting@ SGH Blk 2 Level 1, Radiology Conference Room


27 7.30 am Endocrine and Rare Tumour Meeting@ NCCS Level 2, Clinic C, Discussion Room


27 5.00 pm NCCS Neuro Onco Tumour Board Meeting@ NCCS Level 2, Clinic C, Discussion Room

1 Low Peak Wah / Ang Hui Lan 6436 8165 / 6436 8174 [email protected]/ [email protected]

JANUARY 2014Date Time Event Information CME Pt Registration Contact

8, 15, 22, 29 1.00pm Hepatobiliary Conference@ NCCS Level 4, Lecture Hall

1 Lim Shufen / V Kalai 6436 8283 / 6436 8294 [email protected] / [email protected]

8, 15, 22, 298, 15, 22, 296, 13, 20, 27

4.30 pm5.00 pm5.00 pm

NCCS Tumour Board Meetings:Sarcoma Tumour Board MeetingGeneral Surgery Tumour Board MeetingHead & Neck Tumour Board Meeting@ NCCS Level 2, Clinic C, Discussion Room

111


2, 9, 16, 23, 30 11.30am Lung Tumour Board Combine SGH-NCCS Meeting@ SGH Blk 2 Level 1, Radiology Conference Room




17 1.00pm Journal Club Topic: To be advised Speaker: @ NCCS level 1, Mammo Suite Discussion Room

1 Phua Chay Sin 6436 8043 [email protected]

23 5.00pm NCCS Neuro Onco Tumour Board Meeting@ NCCS Level 2, Clinic C, Discussion Room

1 Low Peak Wah / Ang Hui Lan 6436 8165 / 6436 8174 [email protected]/ [email protected]

24 1.00pm Teaching Session Topic: To be advised Speaker: @ NCCS level 1, Mammo Suite Discussion Room

1 Phua Chay Sin 6436 8043 [email protected]

30 7.30am Endocrine and Rare Tumour Meeting@ NCCS Level 2, Clinic C, Discussion Room


FEBRUARY 2014 Date Time Event Information CME Pt Registration Contact

5, 12, 19, 265, 12, 19, 263, 10, 17, 24

4.30 pm5.00 pm5.00 pm

NCCS Tumour Board Meetings:Sarcoma Tumour Board MeetingGeneral Surgery Tumour Board MeetingHead & Neck Tumour Board Meeting@ NCCS Level 2, Clinic C, Discussion Room

111


5, 12, 19, 26 1.00pm Hepatobiliary Conference@ NCCS Level 4, Lecture Hall

1 Lim Shufen / V Kalai 64368283 / 8294 [email protected] / nsokal @nccs.com.sg




20 SALUBRIS JANUARY – MARCH 2014

SALUBRIS is produced with you in mind. If there are other topics related to cancer that you

would like to read about or if you would like to provide some feedback on the articles covered, please email to [email protected].

NATIONAL CANCER CENTRE SINGAPOREReg No 199801562Z

11 Hospital Drive Singapore 169610 Tel: (65) 6436 8000 Fax: (65) 6225 6283www.nccs.com.sg www.facebook.com/NationalCancerCentreSingapore www.linkedin.com/company/NationalCancerCentreSingapore

Editorial Advisors

Prof Kon Oi Lian Prof Soo Khee Chee Dr Tan Hiang Khoon

Editorial Consultant

Mr Sunny Wee

Medical Editor

Dr Richard Yeo

Executive Editors

Ms Rachel Tan Ms Siti Zawiyah Mr Edwin Yong

Members, Editorial Board

Ms Lita Chew Dr Mohd Farid Ms Sharon Leow Ms Jenna Teo Dr Melissa Teo Dr Teo Tze Hern Dr Deborah Watkinson

nccs salubris issue 28 p7

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