Critical Success Factors for Regional Health Systems - An International and Local Comparison of What Makes Regional Health Systems Tick

Singapore has a good reputation worldwide for somehow achieving high quality healthcare with good outcomes at relatively low cost. This has been achieved through decades of diverse innovations in health financing and investment, care delivery models and behavioural management, and the strong presence of the public sector in selected sectors. However, there is concern that past measures may yet prove inadequate, or even counterproductive, for Singapore's growing and rapidly ageing population.

From its first mooting to the current development-in-progress, the Regional Health System (RHS) has evolved in conceptualisation and implementation into the current six health regional systems in Singapore. In their development, many ideas and lessons from other regional health systems in the world have been learnt, imported and implemented in Singapore. Some are clinical and operational for care delivery facilities, while others are concerned with more macro considerations of networks, systems, and policies.

This presentation compares exemplar systems in other countries that are noted for successful implementations of Integrated Care (spanning a wide range of for-profit, public sector, and other economies), and describes some essential commonalities across these diverse systems. Aspects examined include their definition, governance, organisation, coordination, financing, risk pooling, provider and patient management.

Lessons are drawn from these oft-cited examples to suggest potential dimensions for consideration in the planning and development of Singapore's Regional Health Systems, beyond the immediate ground-level clinical and operational care delivery units, for the benefit of the patients and population they serve.