Sphere Conferences, the conference arm of Singapore Press Holdings Limited (SPH), has opened the 2nd annual healthcare conference Patient Care Asia 2014. The event is held at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre from 10 to 12 November 2014.

The 2nd annual conference, which will be attended by over 100 international senior healthcare professionals, is the platform for healthcare professionals to gather, network and exchange ideas on strategies, latest initiatives and best case practices across Asia. It aims to propel the quality of patient care to new heights.

The key issues discussed at the conference included:

  • Patient-centered leadership and culture in healthcare
  • eHealth and patient-centric devices in health management
  • Patient experience management: People and processes
  • Innovation in care delivery models

One of the highlights of Patient Care Asia 2014 is the pre-conference workshop led by Mr. Randall Carter, Senior Vice President of Planetree, a global leader in patient- centered care solutions and committee member of US national healthcare policy advisors. The workshop aims to deepen the attendees' understanding of patient- centered care and incorporate learnings about patient-centered practices into their daily work.

Preventive health has been widely encouraged through various screening and wellness programme as well as awareness campaigns.

Dr. Carol Tan, Chairman, The Good Life Co-operative, Singapore, said: "The healthcare industry has been primarily focused on illness and not health. Fortunately, there is a growing interest in preventive care. Governments, employers and individuals facing escalating healthcare costs are "investing" in prevention to manage costs and ensure sustainability. Implicit in prevention is the change in relationship between the patient and the healthcare provider. The patient is no longer the passive recipient of an intervention but rather needs to be an active partner. Putting the patient at the centre also means taking into consideration other factors. Affordability of healthcare to patients is a key area of concern. The issue of profit and profiteering in healthcare and equity needs to be considered by providers."

The importance of the new dimension of quality care is made evident by the participation of the region's healthcare institutions and stakeholders like Assisi Hospice, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, KPJ Healthcare Berhad, Mount Alvernia Hospital, National Healthcare Group, Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Singapore General Hospital, Tabor Village, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and TMMC Healthcare.

Several key industry experts and renowned leaders from local and overseas healthcare institutions spoke and shared their insights at the event:

  • Dr. Kelvin Loh, CEO, Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore
  • Hj. Amiruddin Abdul Satar, Managing Director, KPJ Healthcare Berhad, Malaysia
  • Dr. Dilshaad Ali bin Abas Ali, Group CEO, TMMC Healthcare, Vietnam
  • Dan Levitt, Executive Director, Tabor Village, Canada
  • Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited, India
  • Dr. Eric Ng Woon-Leung, Director of United Ambulatory Care Centre, United Christian Hospital, Hong Kong
  • Dr. Carol Tan, Chairman, The Good Life Co-operative, Singapore

Dr. Eric Ng Woon-Leung, Director of United Ambulatory Care Centre, United Christian Hospital, Hong Kong, said: "I looked forward to the Patient Care Asia 2014 conference. Last year's inaugural meeting was a resounding success. It gathered visionary leaders in the region to share best practices on patient care management and healthcare delivery. Importantly, the size and arrangement of the conference promoted intimate and in-depth interactions among speakers and participants. I am happy to have established a number of fruitful collaborations on an international level after the meeting."

Ms. Patricia Cheong, General Manager of Sphere Conferences, said: "Population aging is occurring rapidly across Asia. The Singapore Government has rolled out the Pioneer Generation Package which focuses on healthcare benefits to the older Singaporeans. The need to improve elder care and geriatric care has taken on a new urgency especially with the growing aging population in Singapore. With engaging panel discussions and successful case studies including aging-in-place programs from Hong Kong, Patient Care Asia 2014 provides an excellent platform for healthcare service leaders to learn from others' best practices and collaborate in achieving quality patient-centered care."

For a list of speakers and agenda for the event, visit www.patientcareasia.com.