THINGS TO KNOW SERIES (#01)

Physician Qualitative Study in Singapore - 3 Things to Know

Authors: ​A. Shukla, V. K. Reddy

Disclaimer: The article is based on insights gathered from multiple face-to-face interviews conducted in Singapore.

The Asia-pacific region is an important market for the Pharma and Medtech companies as more than half of the world’s population resides here, income levels of individuals are rising, and there is an increasing number of ageing citizens, which will eventually lead to an even higher consumption of healthcare products. However, there is a marked diversity among the countries of the region, which is reflected by the heterogeneity in the adoption of new healthcare technologies.

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We at Oncofocus have been focusing on this diverse, yet fast-growing region for the last three years and have acquired a wealth of experiences. In this ‘Things to Know’ series of articles, we will be sharing our key learning from our personal interactions with healthcare professionals in Asia-pacific countries. The present article focuses on Singapore, whose healthcare system is considered as one of the world’s best (Ref 1).
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Country Profile
By virtue of its location, political stability, and economic policies, Singapore has developed as a medical hub, constantly attracting highly-skilled HCPs from around the world. Notably, about 20% of the physicians in the public sector are foreigners (Ref 2).

The availability of skilled medical professionals has enabled Singapore to offer holistic and integrated care and emerge as a reliable destination for patients from other Asian countries.​

3 Things to Know about Singapore HCPs

Knowledge Driven: We found majority of the HCPs, who participated, to be research-oriented and active-seekers of information on the latest healthcare developments. Often, during discussions, we found that physicians showed patience and interest in going through the provided research material before offering their inputs. In some cases, we were even requested to share results from ongoing clinical trials, as and when they are published.  

Broader Perspective: The international exposure, continuous knowledge exchange, and diverse patient experiences, have helped Singapore HCPs in gaining a broad perspective about treatment and care. During our interviews, we usually get multi-faceted insights on various topics.

Tech Savvy: The Singapore is a digitally savvy nation in the APAC region and is known for its varied e-health initiatives. We found medical professionals in Singapore to be fast-adopters of digital healthcare technologies, which is why we could gather in-depth insights on advanced digital medical systems.

Conclusion
The HCPs in Singapore can provide a wealth of insights for Pharma and Medtech companies planning to verify their hypothesis for the Asia Pacific region. 

Special thanks to our colleague, Ms. Jennifer, for helping us with this blog post.

Learn about our Primary Market Research offerings here

References

1. Bloomberg Report, 2016: www.bloomberg.com/graphics/infographics/most-efficient-health-care-around-the-world.html
2. Singapore Government Annual Report, 2016: http://www.healthprofessionals.gov.sg/content/dam/hprof/smc/docs/annual_reports/2016%20SMC%20Annual%20Report%20(Final).pdf