Singapore, 22 January 2021 – The National Healthcare Group Polyclinics (NHGP) and the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) today signed a Master Collaboration Agreement (MCA) to train undergraduates in health and wellness coaching. This partnership aims to nurture a pipeline of local graduates with the ability to conduct person-health coaching, and is a first such collaboration between a primary care organisation and an academic institution in Singapore.
Commencing in January 2021, the six-week course is open to SUSS Psychology undergraduates pursuing their honours programme. The curriculum is jointly developed by NHG’s Primary Care Academy and SUSS. In a complex healthcare landscape, healthcare practitioners need to shift away from the traditional prescriptive method to one where patients are more engaged, empowered and motivated to achieve better outcomes.
As part of the course, students will be equipped with skills to promote better health and encourage behavioural change. They will learn to engage patients including those with low health literacy towards setting and achieving actionable health and wellness goals. These are some of the tenets of relationship-based care, which are aligned with the practice of Family Medicine advocated by NHGP and the global health fraternity. The course also imbibes skills to customise engagement strategies for clients according to their stages of behavioural change readiness and desired wellness goals. Students will also participate in simulated coaching sessions as they are assessed on learnt applications.
Associate Professor Chong Phui-Nah, Chief Executive Officer of NHGP and Primary Care, said, “The Primary Care Academy is pleased to partner with SUSS. Our close collaboration will present a valuable opportunity for students to learn how health coaching in primary care is not only a key driver for chronic disease management, but also helps to prevent the onset of chronic diseases through behavioural modification strategies. Under the guidance of experienced healthcare staff, we also hope to let them have a glimpse into real world issues including context-rich primary care narratives and scenarios, which we hope will inspire the next generation of healthcare practitioners in Singapore.”
Professor Cheong Hee Kiat, President of SUSS, added, “We value this partnership and it couldn’t be more timely as healthcare is pushed to the forefront due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our students who are working adults would be able to immediately put into practice what they learn in the classroom. We hope our students would be able to inspire sustainable health practices among their patients, and create a ripple effect to the wider community.”
Currently, a small group of SUSS Psychology undergraduate students pursuing the honours programme have already enrolled for the inaugural course intake. By 2023, this course will be offered to a wider group including working professionals under SUSS’ Centre for Continuing and Professional Education (CCPE).
