Biographical Sketch

Prof Chay Oh Moh is a Senior Consultant in the Department of Respiratory Medicine Service of the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH). She is also the Associate Designated Institutional Officer (ADIO) of SingHealth Residency, Campus Director of KKH, Professor in Paediatrics, Duke NUS GMS and Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.

Her interest is in Medical Education, Inter-professional Education, Interpersonal and Communication Skills, Patient Education, Respiratory Disorders (Asthma, Respiratory Infection, OSA) and Medical Ethics.

Synopsis

ERM 1 - Opening Plenary: “Ebony & Ivory – Striking the Right Notes in Clinical Communication”

When a patient is admitted to a healthcare facility, the agenda is simple – to be healed. They may not have realized the increasingly complex processes in a modern healthcare facility. During a brief stay, patients may come in contact with about 50 healthcare providers.  In an academic institution, it is inevitable that these are individuals come with different background and different stages of professional development, and different roles in the team.  Will an inter-professional ward round facilitate clarification and reduce miscommunication?

Effective handoffs had been identified by JCI as one of the important initiatives which could transform care and improve patient safety and outcome. It was estimated that 80% of serious medication errors involved miscommunication during handoffs or transition of care. With modern healthcare institutions being heavily reliant on technologies, there is an increasing tendency to rely on technologies. Should the traditional face to face or telephone conversation be consigned to history? The evidence seems to suggest that customization to an individual organization needs is the key to a successful sustainable patient handoff process.