Asthma patients at Singapore General Hospital are usually sent home with a piece of paper bearing instructions on when to take different kinds of medicine and how to take them.
But pieces of paper can get lost and sometimes patients don't understand the instructions.
To get around this problem, IT engineers came up with the idea of recording the instructions on MP3 players, which patients can take home. All they have to do now is press "play".
SGH's department of respiratory and critical care medicine is now recruiting patients for a six-month pilot programme.
Asthma is a chronic disease affecting the airways in the lungs. Patients have recurring episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing.
According to the World Health Organisation-supported Global Initiative for Asthma (Gina), an estimated 300 million people are affected worldwide.
Senior consultant Tan Keng Leong says 5 per cent of the population here have asthma.
There are two kinds of medicine that patients must take. Medicine to control the condition must be taken every day. Medicine for relief is occasionally needed to treat acute symptoms such as wheezing, chest tightness and cough.
Now the hospital is using technology to make sure that every patient can follow his own asthma action, by listening to instructions. Said Dr Tan: "Older, less educated patients can speak but they can't read."
The customised plan is recorded in MP3 format which can be downloaded onto an MP3 player and loaned to the patients.
The pilot will also reach out to tech-savvy patients through other ways.
The action plan can be downloaded from the Internet at mytelecare.com.sg portal onto mobile phones ornotebook computers.
Patients can also download a video clip demonstrating how to use an inhaler, which delivers relief medication straight to the airways, properly.
Patients register with the hospital pharmacist to receive a password for the portal.
SingHealth's information technology department is the driving force behind the remote patient care for chronic disease known as Telecare. Project manager Lim Fang Seng says that while there is plenty of general information on the Internet, patients cannot do without personalised information.
The whole area is still being developed, with asthma being the latest chronic illness to be included.
Dr Tan hopes that other hospitals and polyclinics can adopt the system after the six-month study.
His overall goal is to enhance asthma education and counselling for the benefit of the patient: "To see better control, a reduction in hospital admissions, more asthma-free days and for patients to lead a normal life."
'I downloaded the asthma action plan onto my phone and computer. It's very user-friendly. I've followed the plan closely and had no attack yet.'
- Mr Alvin Song Chow Chuen, 51, an engineer and a new asthma patient
E-mail: elainey@sph.com.sg