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Background Information on Organisation
Singhealth Polyclinics is a member of Singapore Health Services. Singhealth has a network of acute hospitals, specialty centers, community hospitals and polyclinics that provide over 40 clinical specialties. Singhealth Polyclinics aims to provide more affordable quality healthcare to the masses.
Background Information on our Project
The main aim of our project was to identify and adapt to needs of patients in terms of educating them on medical knowledge by creating the storyboard for an app or video and if possible, create an actual prototype. These apps or videos are meant to be installed into iPads in the E-Pal corner of Eunos polyclinic to serve as self-help for patients. Videos can also be played on bigger screens for wider reach. Resources required to create our product was mostly funding and space as the iPads required an allocated space to be stationed and funding would be needed to publish apps onto App Store or Google Play to be downloaded. We could use game-making software such as GameSalad, Thunkable or Scratch to create our learning app. As for videos, we could use MovieMaker or video editing apps to create an educational video.
The Process
We agreed that we needed a clear plan in order for our product to be useful as we realised there are actually already apps in the App Store and Google play with the same goal as our product. However, we noticed that the apps were not as user -friendly, especially for the elderly to use easily. Hence, we decided to make an app that is user-friendly to patients of all ages to use. We accomplished our project by first deciding what our app or video aims to achieve before planning out its features and functions. We then listed down information and data we needed to develop our product. We headed out to libraries to browse books on medical data in addition to surfing the internet for information. As none of us had in-depth knowledge or experience with programming apps, we also had to refer to guide books for assistance in coding the app. In the third week, a game section of the app was suggested where patients could learn through engaging in an educational game. Hence, we immediately started planning and conceptualising a game sector in the app. We researched and read up books on gamification and which aspects would be suitable to implement in our game. However, as the gamification was a new idea, we had little time to complete both game and app completely.
Our Products
In the end, we managed to create the app and prototype game. However, due to the lack of time and expertise in coding, we were only able to add the essential features into the app and game that excluded some of our ideas and concepts in plan. However, the process of learning on the go was a vigorous yet meaningful aspect to the project. Not only did we learn programming and app design as our app developed, we also learnt the importance of communication and time-management. We felt that it truly simulated a workplace environment where one learns to cooperate with colleagues while managing workload and deadlines well. In the end, not only did we gain experience and interest in coding, we also gained an interest for the medical field in Singapore as we realized that there is actually a lot more that goes on in a polyclinic than we see on the surface.
3 Content Knowledge/Skills Learnt
3 major content knowledge and skills learnt would be how a polyclinic operates behind-the-scenes, researching skills, the importance of teamwork and time-management. When our mentor, Dr Moey, gave us a tour around Pasir Ris Polyclinic on the first day of WOW, we were let into various rooms and facilities behind-the-scenes to learn how a polyclinic operates. For example, we were shown how the medicine dispensary functions and the different role each of the staff had. We learnt that medicine dispensing required medical staff having great experience and knowledge in the locations of where medicine is stored as well as how they were categorized. Different staff members would then pack and double-check the medicine to be dispensed before calling the patient to collect his or her medicine. We realized that a polyclinic required the cooperation and hard work of many individuals and unsung heroes from various specialisations to fully operate. Research was also a critical aspect of our WOW project. We had to research in-depth into the concept of app design and gamification as well as medical data and facts. We attained such information by searching the internet for general health facts and coding tips and later reading up books in the library for in-depth medical data and code troubleshooting. Teamwork in our group was a key element in the productivity of our project. Although we had little time and lacked needed skills to create our product, our group split the workload equally based on each members’ strength and weaknesses, allowing us to make the most of what we had. We also kept each other up-to-date with each members’ progress to ensure that no one was lagging behind. This helped us achieve as much as we could in the given time and resources. Time-management was also a big takeaway for our group as a whole. Our group did indeed face setbacks when creating our product, that unorganized our schedule. However, as a group, we learnt to adapt quickly and adjust our schedule and time to overcome such challenges.
2 Interesting Aspects of My Learning
2 interesting aspects of the job I learnt were that polyclinics have evolved tremendously from the past and that the relationship between medical staff and patients have also changed throughout the years. I learnt that polyclinics have improved over the years in terms of operating system, medical equipment and facilities. Polyclinics in the past had more inefficient and labour-intensive systems of operation. For example, patients in the past had to wait for a very long time before being seen by the doctor and had no way of being notified in advance. Now, polyclinics provide apps that allow patients to book appointments in advance and can be notified of when they can be seen without waiting for long. Another example would be how medicine dispensaries now have a counter and slide for convenient and quick passing of medicine over from staff who take the prescribed medicine to those who pack, check and dispense medicine at the counter. Another aspect that I learnt about work on a polyclinic is that the cultural relationship between medical staff and patients have also changed through the years. From an interview with a former staff nurse, she said that patients in the past tend to be more trusting and kind towards medical staff while in the present, patients are more skeptical of medical staff and often question them after surfing the internet for a diagnosis themselves. This came as a surprise to me as it was an insight in the field that I could not gain with solely my own experience.
1 Takeaway for Life
1 takeaway for life would be a rekindled passion and curiosity in learning new skills outside the MOE syllabus. Through the WOW! project, I realized that there are tons of different skills out there that can be learnt and that the process can be really fun. Not only would new skills be fun to learn, they will also be useful in the future when we join the workforce. It also gives me a strong sense of achievement, especially when I reach new goals set by myself in new areas of learning, as well as new experiences that add meaning to my life that cannot be attained from anywhere else. The WOW! Project has opened my eyes to let me have the passion and curiosity to learn about more things in-depth instead of just seeing what’s on the surface, it is truly a meaningful and unforgettable experience.
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