A telegeriatric research project led by third-year PhD student Apphia Tan, from the National University of Singapore’s Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies (NUS Nursing), clinched the Bronze award under the student category. 

Apphia Tan, a third-year PhD student from the National University of Singapore’s Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies (NUS Nursing), clinched the Bronze award under the student category at the Singapore Biomedical Health Congress 2022 (SBHC 2022).

Held on 13 October 2022, the Singapore Biomedical Health Congress 2022 (SBHC 2022) showcased the works of seven healthcare teams in its oral presentation competition.

A telegeriatric research project led by third-year PhD student Apphia Tan, from NUS Nursing, clinched the Bronze award under the student category.

Their project, titled “Interprofessional collaboration in geriatric teleconsultations: An exploratory qualitative study”, is the brainchild of Apphia who is first author of the study and worked on it as part of her PhD. The team aimed to explore nurses’ and physicians’ experiences of interprofessional collaboration and communication during geriatric teleconsultations.

 The study yielded significant conclusions on the importance of telemedicine in training and communication to improve nursing care in the community.

 Apphia’s interest in the use of technology in healthcare led her to marry it with nursing education. She was inspired by GeriCare, a partnership between Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and nursing homes, which aims to create a Community of Practice (COP) among healthcare professionals working in and with nursing homes, to provide holistic care for nursing home residents.

“Their work on providing telegeriatrics to nursing home residents excited me, as nurses were heavily involved in facilitating the telegeriatric sessions and sharing the resident case with a remote physician.”

“In the process of research, I realised that care processes have shifted and wanted to delve into the value that the nursing workforce is bringing to the care setting, through this service,” said Apphia.

The role of teleconsultation in the healthcare landscape has unparalleled potential today. Speaking to nurses and physicians who provide teleconsultation services, she gathered that its benefits include accessibility to specialist care, potential cost reductions, and closer collaboration between nursing home nurses and care physicians, leading to better care of the resident.

Thereafter, she hopes to contribute to the knowledge of nurses to lead and facilitate these teleconsultations, allowing for potential partnerships between nursing homes and healthcare institutions to scale this service.

SHBC 2022 was an insightful experience for Apphia, as she enjoyed the panel talks, especially discussions on ways to improve partnership in healthcare settings, while forming tightly knit care networks for community support.

In addition to this heartening achievement, Apphia’s publication has recently been published in the top journal, Age and Ageing, with an impact factor > 10.

Adapted from the first phase of her PhD project, her findings provide insight into the resources needed for implementation and sustainability of telemedicine use in nursing homes, to help develop educational tools to train nurses in facilitating teleconsultations.

She feels that a heavier investment into the nursing workforce is necessary, to further empower and boost clinical and decision-making capabilities of the nurses in community and nursing home settings.

As the ones with the most contact time with residents and patients, their realistic insights of the community’s needs are very valuable, and hold much potential for community care.

“The nurses are the eyes, hands and ears of the physicians, because they are required to perform clinical assessment, practice clinical judgment, and gather information which they will then relay to the physician.”

“And as key facilitators in teleconsultations, it is crucial to provide them with the support and ensure competency in delivering this service.” concluded Apphia.