{"id":55101,"date":"2026-05-25T05:56:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T21:56:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=55101"},"modified":"2026-05-25T05:56:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T21:56:36","slug":"new-ai-assistant-could-help-people-achieve-their-healthier-sg-health-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=55101","title":{"rendered":"New AI assistant could help people achieve their Healthier SG health goals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">SINGAPORE &#8211; <!-- -->A new AI-powered tool could soon be used to help residents better personalise individual dietary and exercise plans to meet their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/health\/healthier-sg-care-plans-will-be-more-personalised-over-time-with-use-of-apps-ong-ye-kung?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">goals under Healthier SG<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">HealthGuide@Home is a digital assistant that generates and refines personalised health plans based on information or preferences provided by the user.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">With caregiving manpower constraints in Singapore\u2019s current super-aged society, the use of agentic AI tools allows for the implementation of personalised lifestyle interventions on a national scale, said a team of researchers from the Ministry of Health (MOH) and its entities in a published academic paper on the small-scale testing of the tool.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/tech\/the-different-ai-systems-that-have-emerged-over-the-last-seven-decades?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">Agentic AI is able to proactively figure out the sequence of steps needed to achieve a goal defined by its user<\/span><\/a>, with minimal to no human intervention in the process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Unlike traditional AI models, whose answers are limited to the data they are trained on, agentic AI can use computer tools as a human user would because it understands human language and responds dynamically.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The development of this <!-- -->artificial intelligence<!-- --> tool was outlined in the journal paper published by a group of policymakers from MOH and its entities \u2013 national healthtech agency Synapxe, the Health Promotion Board (HPB), and the MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The paper was accepted in <!-- -->February<!-- --> by peer-reviewed journal npj Digital Medicine<!-- -->, published by Nature Portfolio, whose flagship publications include Nature<!-- -->.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Asked about the tool\u2019s implementation plans and timeline, Synapxe told The Straits Times that findings from the published study \u201care being used to guide our ongoing effort to improve the Healthier SG experience for residents and support them in taking action for better health\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">HealthGuide@Home is likely to be rolled out for those enrolled under Healthier SG, according to the npj paper.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Healthier SG is the national preventative health initiative launched in 2023, which helps people to take proactive steps to manage their health, prevent the onset of chronic diseases and lead healthier lifestyles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 40 and above can enrol with their chosen private general practitioner <!-- -->(GP) <!-- -->or a polyclinic doctor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The first consultation with the registered doctor is fully subsidised by MOH and focuses on the development of a personalised health plan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">For instance, the doctor might recommend limiting one\u2019s sodium intake to 10 teaspoons per day, and engaging in 100 minutes of low-intensity aerobic exercise three days a week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">HealthGuide@Home can then refine the exercise recommendations based on what the user chooses, such as the number of days to set aside for exercise in a week, a preference for indoor or outdoor activities, or to exercise alone or in a group.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Synapxe said the content and information contained on the HPB\u2019s MOVE IT website, which includes physical activity programmes, resources and tips for individuals of various fitness levels, are used by the tool to derive its recommendations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">It can also recommend ActiveSG\u2019s community activities and programmes, such as kayaking, pickleball and aqua aerobics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">It can also recommend healthy meals to cook at home or when eating out, and even modify recipes according to the user\u2019s preferences for specific food ingredients, as well as their desired levels of caloric or sodium consumption.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Synapxe said that in coming up with these recommendations, the tool would have considered official health advice from MOH and HPB for chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The tool also ensures that the health plan is responsive to the individual\u2019s evolving needs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">For instance, if the person recently suffered a minor injury, the tool can regenerate the plan and recommend exercises that will still be suitable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Synapxe told ST that the AI tool is not meant to replace the Healthier SG consultation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cResidents could use HealthGuide@Home as a self-help tool to generate more detailed exercise and diet plans, based on the goals in their <!-- -->Health Plan<!-- -->,\u201d said Synapxe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The pilot study of 20 residents and seven clinicians showed that there was a generally positive user acceptance of this AI assistant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The majority of residents valued the personalisation and level of granularity in the recommendations, and did not express major concerns about the recommended plans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cThis pilot study highlights the potential of AI-driven digital assistants in supporting preventive healthcare programmes,\u201d said the team in its paper.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Synapxe also said that safety remained its top priority when designing the AI tool.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">It added that safeguards were in place, including customising recommendations that did not conflict with the resident\u2019s health profile.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">In addition, the AI system will respond only to questions on diet and exercise. It will prompt the user to consult a healthcare professional for medical matters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<center><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/health\/new-ai-assistant-could-help-people-achieve-their-healthier-sg-health-goals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><br \/>\n<center\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SINGAPORE &#8211; A new AI-powered tool could soon be used to help residents better personalise individual dietary and exercise plans to meet their goals under&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":55102,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=55101"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55101\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/55102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=55101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=55101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=55101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}