Following the revocation of its clinic licence by the Ministry of Health (MOH) last year, telehealth provider MaNaDr has unveiled a series of enhanced measures aimed at improving teleconsultation practices. At a press conference on 2 April 2024, co-founder and CEO Siaw Tung Yeng detailed the new protocols.
New Safeguards Implemented
- Teleconsultations must now last at least one minute before a medical certificate (MC) can be issued.
- Mandatory audio recordings for all teleconsultations will be in place to ensure transparency.
- An AI-powered note-taker is expected to facilitate better documentation of patient interactions.
Dr Siaw highlighted that these changes come after investigations revealed a culture of poor oversight during teleconsultations at the City Gate clinic, resulting in many appointments lasting less than one minute.
AI Technology at the Forefront
Using artificial intelligence, MaNaDr aims to bolster clinical standards. The AI model has been trained using 6,000 teleconsultations and claims an accuracy rate exceeding 90%. Additionally, a future AI-powered checker will assist doctors by suggesting questions to ask during consultations.
Addressing Governance and Compliance
Dr Siaw acknowledged the failings that led to the licence revocation and admitted that the company “could have done a better job” managing their platform. With the licence revoked for its physical clinic managed under a subsidiary, he clarified that the telemedicine technology is still operational and serving a number of clinics around Singapore.
Trust Restoration Efforts
In light of the recent challenges, MaNaDr’s leadership is committed to rebuilding trust in telemedicine services. Dr Rachel Teoh, co-founder and board chair, emphasised their dedication to ethical practices in digital healthcare.
While the incident may have impacted the company’s reputation, both Siaw and Teoh are determined to turn this setback into an opportunity for growth. “We are not going to allow this to set us back,” Dr Teoh affirmed. “We will work even harder to regain trust.”