From Crisis to Catalyst: MIC@Home’s Pilot During COVID-19

The genesis of Singapore’s Mobile Inpatient Care @ Home (MIC@Home) program is deeply intertwined with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. As hospital beds faced unprecedented pressure during the various waves of infection, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and its Office for Healthcare Transformation (MOHT) recognized the urgent need for alternative care delivery models. This spurred the rapid piloting of home-based acute care, building on existing “virtual ward” concepts trialed by institutions like the National University Health System (NUHS@Home) and Singapore General Hospital (SGH@Home).

During this pilot phase, which officially soft-launched in April 2022 as a regulatory and financing sandbox, MIC@Home focused on managing suitable patients with lower to moderate clinical acuity, including those with certain infections or stable COVID-19 cases. The goal was twofold: to provide comparable and safe care outside of traditional hospital walls and to alleviate the strain on physical hospital bed capacity. This initial phase was crucial for gathering data on clinical safety, effectiveness, and cost-efficiency. It allowed healthcare providers to refine care protocols, adapt to home environments, and leverage technology for remote monitoring and teleconsultations. The positive outcomes, including high patient satisfaction, comparable clinical results to inpatient care, and significant bed-day savings, laid a strong foundation for its future expansion. The crisis, therefore, acted as a powerful catalyst, accelerating the development and validation of this innovative care model.

Key Learnings from the Pilot:

• Rapid Adaptation: Demonstrated the healthcare system’s agility in pivoting to home-based care during a crisis.
• Safety & Efficacy: Proved that acute care could be safely and effectively delivered in a home setting for suitable patients.
• Capacity Relief: Directly contributed to alleviating bed crunch in public hospitals.
• Patient Buy-in: High patient satisfaction highlighted the preference for home recovery.

Related Literature & Sources:

• MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation (MOHT) – Mobile Inpatient Care @ Home: Provides an overview of the program, including its pilot phase. https://www.moht.com.sg/our-programmes/integrated-general-hospital/mic-home
• Healthcare IT News – Singapore’s Ministry of Health expands virtual ward pilots: Discusses the initial expansion and sandbox approach. https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/asia/singapores-ministry-health-expands-virtual-ward-pilots