Some doctor-researchers here are gathering data to study the spread of diseases
by Neo Chai Chin 05:55 AM Jun 11, 2009
TTSH’s Communicable Disease Centre. Courtesy TTSH
SHOULD an Influenza A(H1N1) outbreak occur in Singapore, Dr Mark Chen I-Cheng will be busy collecting data to better understand how it can spread in a hospital.
Singapore is currently “taking a kiasu approach”, but when a simulation model on infectious diseases’ spread is developed, there could be “freedom to adjust” certain measures, he said.
For example, would restricting hospital visitors from Day One make a difference in curbing its spread? How far should patient movement among wards be allowed?
Over the next three years, Dr Chen - a registrar at Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s Communicable Disease Centre - hopes to develop a computer simulation model using data from the Sars outbreak in 2003 and also from seasonal flu.
“Outbreaks are what we call rare events,” said Dr Chen.
“That’s why we do simulations - to collect data on an outbreak, then go backwards and ask, ‘If we had done something different, would we have had a smaller outbreak?’”
Dr Chen is one of six doctors awarded the Clinician Scientist Awards this year. Investigators like him receive $225,000 annually for three years, while senior investigators receive $350,000 per year for five years.
Dr Mark Chen I-Cheng, registrar of CDC at TTSH
The awards are funded by the National Research Foundation, and administered by the Ministry of Health.
Elaborating on his project, Dr Chen said there’s currently little room for hospitals to “play through” decisions. After reviewing the best literature available, decision-makers come up with measures best-suited to a particular hospital or disease.
With a simulation model, different scenarios can be played out, enabling intervention strategies such as drug treatment and vaccination to be virtually experimented with.
Doctors would also be able to better explain certain decisions to patients. If the simulation model shows that visitor restriction is necessary, “then we can explain why we have to do this”, said Dr Chen.
Anxiety about infectious disease fades after an outbreak passes, “but even as everybody forgets, preparations have to be made for the next one”, said Dr Chen.
“This is something that the H1N1 situation has emphasised to us.”
From TODAY, News – Thursday, 11-Jun-2009
by Neo Chai Chin 05:55 AM Jun 11, 2009
TTSH’s Communicable Disease Centre. Courtesy TTSHSHOULD an Influenza A(H1N1) outbreak occur in Singapore, Dr Mark Chen I-Cheng will be busy collecting data to better understand how it can spread in a hospital.
Singapore is currently “taking a kiasu approach”, but when a simulation model on infectious diseases’ spread is developed, there could be “freedom to adjust” certain measures, he said.
For example, would restricting hospital visitors from Day One make a difference in curbing its spread? How far should patient movement among wards be allowed?
Over the next three years, Dr Chen - a registrar at Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s Communicable Disease Centre - hopes to develop a computer simulation model using data from the Sars outbreak in 2003 and also from seasonal flu.
“Outbreaks are what we call rare events,” said Dr Chen.
“That’s why we do simulations - to collect data on an outbreak, then go backwards and ask, ‘If we had done something different, would we have had a smaller outbreak?’”
Dr Chen is one of six doctors awarded the Clinician Scientist Awards this year. Investigators like him receive $225,000 annually for three years, while senior investigators receive $350,000 per year for five years.
Dr Mark Chen I-Cheng, registrar of CDC at TTSHThe awards are funded by the National Research Foundation, and administered by the Ministry of Health.
Elaborating on his project, Dr Chen said there’s currently little room for hospitals to “play through” decisions. After reviewing the best literature available, decision-makers come up with measures best-suited to a particular hospital or disease.
With a simulation model, different scenarios can be played out, enabling intervention strategies such as drug treatment and vaccination to be virtually experimented with.
Doctors would also be able to better explain certain decisions to patients. If the simulation model shows that visitor restriction is necessary, “then we can explain why we have to do this”, said Dr Chen.
Anxiety about infectious disease fades after an outbreak passes, “but even as everybody forgets, preparations have to be made for the next one”, said Dr Chen.
“This is something that the H1N1 situation has emphasised to us.”
From TODAY, News – Thursday, 11-Jun-2009
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