Background With increasing type 2 diabetes prevalence, there is a need for effective programs that support diabetes management and improve type 2 diabetes outcomes. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions have shown promising results. With advances in wearable sensors and improved integration, mHealth programs could become more accessible and personalized. Objective The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a personalized mHealth-anchored intervention program in improving glycemic control and enhancing care experience in diabetes management. The program was coincidentally implemented during the national-level lockdown for COVID-19 in Singapore, allowing for a timely study of the use of mHealth for chronic disease management. Methods Patients with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes were enrolled from the Singapore Armed Forces and offered a 3-month intervention program in addition to the usual care they received. The program was standardized to include (1) in-person initial consultation with a clinical dietitian; (2) in-person review with a diabetes specialist doctor; (3) 1 continuous glucose monitoring device; (4) access to the mobile app for dietary intake and physical activity tracking, and communication via messaging with the dietitian and doctor; and (5) context-sensitive digital health coaching over the mobile app. Medical support was rendered to the patients on an as-needed basis when they required advice on adjustment of medications. Measurements of weight, height, and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were conducted at 2 in-person visits at the start and end of the program. At the end of the program, patients were asked to complete a short acceptability feedback survey to understand the motivation for joining the program, their satisfaction, and suggestions for improvement. Results Over a 4-week recruitment period, 130 individuals were screened, the enrollment target of 30 patients was met, and 21 patients completed the program and were included in the final analyses; 9 patients were lost to follow-up (full data were not available for the final analyses). There were no differences in the baseline characteristics between patients who were included and excluded from the final analyses (age category: P=.23; gender: P=.21; ethnicity: P>.99; diabetes status category: P=.52, medication adjustment category: P=.65; HbA1c category: P=.69; BMI: P>.99). The 21 patients who completed the study rated a mean of 9.0 out of 10 on the Likert scale for both satisfaction questions. For the Yes-No question on benefit of the program, all of the patients selected “Yes.” Mean HbA1c decreased from 7.6% to 7.0% (P=.004). There were no severe hypoglycemia events (glucose level <3.0 mmol/L) reported. Mean weight decreased from 76.8 kg to 73.9 kg (P<.001), a mean decrease of 3.5% from baseline weight. Mean BMI decreased from 27.8 kg/m2 to 26.7 kg/m2 (P<.001). Conclusions The personalized mHealth program was feasible, acceptable, and produced significant reductions in HbA1c (P=.004) and body weight (P<.001) in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Such mHealth programs could overcome challenges posed to chronic disease management by COVID-19, including disruptions to in-person health care access.

High-density communal residences are at elevated risk of large outbreaks of respiratory disease. 1,2 After an initial nationwide outbreak of 231 cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in Singapore, which was contained as of March 24, 2020, a surge of 244 cases among migrant workers residing in dormitories, largely from Bangladesh and India, occurred from March 25 to April 7. A national task force was formed to coordinate Singapore's outbreak response. A national lockdown from April 7 to June 1 enforced movement restriction and confined workers to their dormitories. Medical posts were deployed on-site in all dormitories, and testing capacity for testing and screening residents increased. All workers with a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result were admitted to health care facilities for isolation and treatment. We examined the prevalence and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection among migrant workers in Singapore.

BackgroundSystematically planning appropriate medical coverage for mass-participation running events is a challenge that has received relatively little attention in the medical literature, despite its potentially severe consequences. In particular, the literature lacks quantitative information on running events that medical planners can utilize for decisions on medical resource allocation and deployment.MethodsUsing a case-study approach, this study provides a detailed quantitative medical services utilization profile for the Singapore Army Half-Marathon, constructed from participant and casualty data spanning three years and comprising over 80,000 data points. Casualty rates for participants of varying age and sex in different running events were also estimated using a multivariate logistic regression model. Qualitatively, planning processes and practices were described and discussed.ResultsThe quantitative profile yielded three main findings. Firstly, the analysis reveals that the gross Medical Usage Rate had remained fairly stable at between 16.9 and 26.0 casualties per 10,000 participants over the three years. Secondly, comparing injury types, musculoskeletal and soft-tissue injuries were the most commonly-presented injuries. Thirdly, more casualties presented at the race end-point as compared to the along the race routes. The regression analysis showed that, of the four modeled variables, the longer event distance (21 km vs. 10 km) had the largest effect on the likelihood that a participant would become a casualty. Conversely, being of an older age, being male, and running in a non-competitive event were each associated with lower casualty risk.ConclusionsThe stable and intuitive casualty patterns detailed in this study provide a strong basis for further quantitative research on the medical aspects of running events, as well as for mass-participation sporting events in general. The qualitative aspects of this report may serve as a useful resource to medical planners for running events.

Introduction The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) recognises the potential benefits and looks to harnessing telemedicine for primary health care services. In this prospective self-controlled pilot study, we aimed to evaluate the safety, efficiency and user satisfaction outcomes of virtual care (VC) at a military medical centre. Methods Out of 320 patients seen during the study period, 28 were enrolled in this study and underwent on-premises VC, comprising digital symptoms collection and telemedicine in addition to the usual in-person physician consultation. Safety outcomes were measured based on the diagnostic concordance between physicians. Efficiency was measured based on consultation times, and user satisfaction was evaluated using a standard questionnaire. Results There was a higher caseload of both upper respiratory infections and dermatological conditions in our population, in which telemedicine performed well. In terms of safety, telemedicine achieved a mean diagnostic concordance of 92.8% compared to in-person consultations. In terms of efficiency, consultation times were 26.2% – or 2 minutes and 15 seconds – shorter on average with telemedicine ( p = 0.0488). User satisfaction was favourable, with 85.5% of patients satisfied with the VC experience. Discussion This study has been invaluable in showing that on-premises telemedicine is a safe, efficient and effective means to extend and increase our surge capacity for primary health care. Our results have given us reasonable confidence to explore a larger-scale implementation in our network of military medical centres in the future.

Introduction: The use of novel mRNA platforms for COVID-19 vaccines raised concern about vaccine safety, especially in Asian populations that made up less than 10% of study populations in the pivotal vaccine trials used for emergency use authorisation. Vaccine safety issues also remain a concern in assessing the clinical risks and benefits of vaccine boosters, particularly in specific age groups or segments of the population. This study describes a vaccination exercise involving Asian military personnel, and the adverse reactions and safety events observed. Methods: Minor adverse reactions, hospitalisations and adverse events of special interest were monitored as part of the organisation’s protocol for safety monitoring of COVID-19 vaccinations. All vaccine recipients were invited to complete an online adverse reaction questionnaire. Medical consults at the military’s primary healthcare facilities were monitored for vaccine-related presentations. All hospitalisations involving vaccine recipients were analysed. Adverse reaction rates between doses, vaccines and age groups were compared. Results: A total of 127,081 mRNA vaccine doses were administered to 64,661 individuals up to 24 July 2021. Common minor adverse reactions included fever/chills, body aches and injection site pain. These were more common after dose 2. Younger individuals experienced minor adverse reactions more frequently. Rare cases of anaphylaxis, Bell’s palsy and myocarditis/pericarditis were observed. No deaths occurred. Conclusion: Minor adverse reactions were less common than reported in other studies, and rates of anaphylaxis, Bell’s palsy and myocarditis/pericarditis were comparable. Our study supports the favourable safety profile of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, which may help guide decisions about booster doses if required. Keywords: COVID-19, mRNA vaccine, public health, vaccine, vaccine safety

Starting with a handful of SARS-CoV-2 infections in dormitory residents in late March 2020, rapid transmission in their dense living environments ensued and by October 2020, more than 50,000 acute infections were identified across various dormitories in Singapore. The aim of the study is to identify combination of factors facilitating SARS-CoV-2 transmission and the impact of control measures in a dormitory through extensive epidemiological, serological and phylogenetic investigations, supported by simulation models. Our findings showed that asymptomatic cases and symptomatic cases who did not seek medical attention were major drivers of the outbreak. Furthermore, each resident had about 30 close contacts and each infected resident spread to 4.4 (IQR 3.5–5.3) others at the start of the outbreak. The final attack rate of the current outbreak was 76.2% (IQR 70.6–98.0%) and could be reduced by further 10% under a modified dormitory housing condition. These findings are important when designing living environments in a post COVID-19 future to reduce disease spread and facilitate rapid implementation of outbreak control measures.

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Differences observed highlight difficulties in controlling person-to-person outbreaks among large groups in close proximity (e.g., military trainees). Distinct differences in antigenic sites may have contributed to increased immunological susceptibility of the soldiers to infection.