Symposium 1

Symposium 1: Governance and Development of Evidence-Based TCM in Public Healthcare Institutions (PHIs)

Date: 12 July 2025, Sunday | Time: 0945 - 1200 | Venue: The NAK Auditorium, Academia

Co-Chairs: Dr Ruban POOPALALINGAM (SingHealth) & Dr CHIN Jing Jih (NHG Health)

TOPIC 1:

Clinical and Administrative Governance of TCM Practices in PHIs

The integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) into Singapore's public healthcare system requires robust governance frameworks to ensure patient safety and service quality. This presentation examines the comprehensive governance model established within SingHealth, encompassing clinical oversight, administrative structures, and regulatory compliance.

Key governance components include the establishment of cluster-level TCM councils with defined terms of reference for clinical governance and education oversight. The credentialing framework differentiates between TCM physicians and acupuncturists, with standardised privileging processes requiring TCMPB registration, medical indemnity insurance, and demonstrated competency. A five-level supervision framework guides practitioner development from observation to independent practice.

Administrative governance features include standardised policies and procedures, quality assurance through annual peer reviews and clinical audits, comprehensive documentation systems, and adverse event reporting protocols. The framework addresses both local and visiting expert privileging, ensuring consistent standards across institutions.

Drawing from successful international models and local regulatory requirements, this governance structure balances innovation with safety, supporting evidence-based TCM integration while maintaining rigorous clinical standards. The model provides a replicable framework for other public healthcare institutions considering TCM integration.

TOPIC 2:

Use of Electronic TCM Records in Documentation and Communication

Speaker: Dr & Acupuncturist QUAH Teik Joo (TTSH)

The digitalisation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) represents not just about updating technology; it is about bridging ancient wisdom and modern scientific standards with common digital language.

High quality of documentation to generation of robust evidence, synthesising syndromic patterns to augmentation of insight using artificial intelligence are made possible with digital transformation. With advancement of Artificial Intelligence, digital assistants and decision support systems may guide practitioners towards more precise diagnoses and safer treatment decisions. These tools don’t diminish the art of TCM—they amplify it with clarity, consistency, and data.

Ultimately, digitalisation makes Traditional Chinese Medicine safer, more accessible, and more effective. It ensures that patients can continue to benefit from its holistic approach, while enjoying the safety nets, transparency, and scientific discipline that modern technology provides.

TOPIC 3:

Regulatory Approach in Setting Up a Herbal Pharmacy in PHIs and Handling Drug-Herb Interaction

Speaker: Assoc Prof Lita CHEW (SingHealth)

Integrating herbal medicine into Singapore’s public healthcare system presents both opportunity and responsibility. With increasing expectations for safety, transparency, and institutional governance, public healthcare institutions must adopt a clear, structured regulatory approach to herbal pharmacy practice. This presentation outlines a structured approach to establishing an herbal pharmacy within hospital settings, guided by national and institutional frameworks. It reviews the governance landscape, including MOH oversight, TCMPB practitioner regulation, HSA product safety requirements, and hospital credentialing and oversight committees, before translating policy into practical steps for safe implementation. Key focus areas include defining service scope, qualifying suppliers, ensuring product quality and traceability, and maintaining proper documentation. The session also highlights the clinical importance of managing drug–herb interactions, covering underlying mechanisms, high‑risk patient groups, and common examples relevant to practice. A final segment presents a practical roadmap encompassing screening workflows, EMR/NEHR documentation, escalation procedures, patient counselling, pharmacovigilance, and continuous improvement through SOPs, training, and audits. Participants will gain a clear, system‑level view of how to integrate herbal therapies responsibly, aligning innovation with Singapore’s national regulatory standards and patient safety goals.

TOPIC 4:

Interprofessional Education for Western-Medicine and TCM Practitioners

Speaker: Adj Prof & Acupuncturist LAU Tang Ching (NUS)

As Singapore increasingly integrates Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) into its mainstream public healthcare system—evidenced by the TCM Integrative Sandbox Initiative and Healthier SG—interprofessional education (IPE) has emerged as a vital bridge between Western-trained and TCM practitioners. Historically, the fundamental differences in physiological and pathological worldviews between biomedicine and TCM have created communication gaps, necessitating a "common language" to coordinate safe and effective patient care.

To address this, Singaporean institutions are actively implementing cross-training and collaborative education models. A landmark partnership between Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will allow final-year TCM undergraduates to undergo clinical rotations at TTSH starting in 2027. By shadowing senior physicians alongside Western medical junior doctors, TCM students will gain practical exposure to integrative patient care within a modern hospital setting.

Additionally, Western medical practitioners are gaining exposure to TCM through elective modules at the National University of Singapore, graduate diplomas in acupuncture taught in English organised by the Singapore College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and clinical familiarisation courses. Academic platforms, such as the SingHealth Academy's forum on evidence-based TCM in Western medicine, specifically feature symposiums dedicated to IPE to foster mutual understanding and discuss collaborative clinical pathways.

Ultimately, these interprofessional educational initiatives aim to cultivate a mature, egalitarian relationship between conventional physicians and TCM practitioners. By enhancing mutual respect, bridging diagnostic paradigms, and advancing evidence-based practices, IPE empowers Singapore's healthcare system to leverage the strengths of both medical traditions for optimal, patient-centric care.

TOPIC 5:

Is There a Role for TCM Nursing In Singapore? Exploring a New Model of Integrative Care Through Non-invasive TCM Techniques

Speaker: Dr (Nursing) & TCMP HUANG Fang (KKH)

Singapore’s healthcare system is facing increasing demands from an ageing population, a growing chronic disease burden, and the need for more holistic, patient-centred care. At the same time, international interest in TCM nursing continues to grow. This presentation explores whether TCM nursing can play a meaningful role alongside conventional nursing practice. The talk will examine TCM nursing as a complementary, non-invasive, and supportive approach to patient care, with potential applications in symptom management, recovery, and overall well-being. It will also discuss the challenges of developing TCM nursing in Singapore, including licensure, scope of practice, professional boundaries, and regulatory considerations. The presentation will highlight the key requirements for safe and sustainable practice, including proper training, competency, governance, and alignment with professional nursing standards.

It is timely to consider the development of TCM nursing as an evidence-informed adjunct to holistic care within Singapore’s healthcare system.

Panel Discussion:

“How shall Singapore design a care model for TCM to be practised at a higher level? Shall such TCM services be offered through TCM departments in acute/subacute care hospitals or through a TCM dedicated hospital with an inpatient care facility, as in HK?”