Data, Digital Technology, AI

Background

The Data, Digital Technology & AI (D2A!) Core at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) plays a central role in advancing cardiovascular research by transforming diverse healthcare data into meaningful insights. Through the provision of secure infrastructure, strong governance frameworks, and advanced analytics capabilities—including artificial intelligence and machine learning—the Core enables researchers and clinicians to push the boundaries of discovery and translate knowledge into better outcomes for patients. We are a one-stop platform for external partners (e.g., industry collaborators) to interface with for data-related projects.

Our Mission

We aim to harness data and digital innovation to:

• Empower researchers with high-quality, curated, and secure datasets for cardiovascular research
• Enable advanced analytics and AI for early disease detection, precision medicine, predictive modelling, and patient risk stratification.
• Translate research into real-world impact, enhancing clinical decision-making, health system efficiency, and patient outcomes.

Expertise

In the data-driven/data-informed landscape, new digital technologies and associated artificial intelligence (AI) will play a significant role in the future management and treatment of our patients.

These technologies have the potential to accelerate, streamline and optimize clinical procedures and reduce costs. The core has three work streams:

• Providing structure, governance, and processes for NHRIS data-related activities
• Building and driving the development of digital technology projects
• Building AI and machine learning expertise

Significance

It is important to establish and develop a strong and highly trained team to manage and analyze the rapidly increasing and complex data. D2A! will build expertise and capabilities to organize data with more coherence to elucidate meaningful research answers and give NHCS an edge in this space.

This will poise the institution/cluster to create more customized, informed, and personalized treatment strategies for future patients. D2A! is also positioned to be a conduit and integrated platform for discovery of possible collaboration within and beyond the institution (e.g., with IHL and industry players), fostering an eco-system which allows for future innovations and initiatives.

Our four main strategies include: 

Singapore Key National Research Initiatives

Singapore Cardiac Data bank (SCDB)

Purpose & Scope:
SCDB is a centralized repository consolidating cardiac patient data from multiple hospitals and research centers across Singapore. It serves as a national reference for cardiovascular research, facilitating large-scale studies and trials.

Data & Analytics:

• Comprehensive Dataset: Combines historical and current clinical data, imaging, lab tests, interventions, and outcomes.
• Research-ready Infrastructure: Standardized, curated, and quality-controlled datasets ready for AI modelling, observational studies, and clinical trials.
• Governance & Compliance: Secure data access under strict ethical oversight and data governance frameworks.

Impact: 

• Accelerates translational research and discovery of novel biomarkers.
• Supports multi-center clinical trials and observational studies.
• Strengthens Singapore’s position as a global cardiovascular research hub.

SCDB was established in 2000 as a national data bank of cardiovascular diseases and procedures. It is a rich source of data with 80% of hospital care delivered in public institutions. Current modules include Cath/PCI, adult cardiac surgery, ICD, pacemaker, electrophysiology studies, ablation, heart failure admissions, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedures. The data is utilised for numerous audit/quality reporting purposes, benchmarking and research projects. SCDB (NHCS) is a part of the EuroHeart initiative which helps us benchmark our care internationally for the Acute Coronary Syndrome domain; not only identifying areas where we have excelled but also areas of improvement while we strive to improve care for our patients. There are plans to involve more institutions into the EuroHeart initiatives for a bigger national representation and other disease domains like Heart Failure and TAVI. Biennial data quality audits conducted by a 3rd-party auditor to assess data validity and reliability have shown data agreement of ~97% for both cardiac surgery and Cath/PCI data. A list of the focus areas and participating institutions can be seen in the figure below:

Data & Analytics:

• Multi-source Integration: EHRs, procedural records, imaging, medications, lab tests, and claims data.
• Advanced Analytics: Enables risk prediction, AI-driven phenotyping, and treatment optimization.
• Governance & Security: Managed under strict data governance protocols with ISO27001-compliant security, ensuring privacy while enabling high-quality research.

Purpose & Scope:

SingHEART is a prospective population cohort study that investigates cardiovascular health in Singapore, focusing on lifestyle, genetics, imaging, and biomarkers. Its goal is to understand early determinants of cardiovascular disease and inform preventive strategies.

Data & Analytics:

• Rich Multi-modal Data: Clinical assessments, cardiac imaging, wearable devices, genomics, metabolomics, lifestyle surveys, and blood biomarkers.
• AI & Predictive Models: Supports early risk stratification, identification of novel risk factors, and predictive modelling for personalized prevention.

Impact: 

• Advances knowledge on population-level cardiovascular risk.
• Guides personalized preventive interventions.
• Enables early detection strategies for asymptomatic individuals.

“First-of-its-kind in Asia”

SingHEART is a landmark research initiative designed to uncover how genetics, lifestyle, and environment contribute to cardiovascular health in Singapore. By recruiting and following a population-based cohort over time, SingHEART collects multi-omics data—spanning genomics, metabolomics, and digital biomarkers—alongside detailed lifestyle and clinical information. This long-term approach provides an unprecedented view of the natural history of cardiovascular disease in an Asian population.

The study has laid the foundation for precision medicine in cardiology. Insights from SingHEART are already helping to refine risk prediction models that take into account genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors specific to the local context. As the cohort matures, it will continue to support the development of personalised prevention and treatment strategies, ensuring that advances in cardiovascular care are tailored to the needs of the community.

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Impact and Achievement

The D2A! Core has already delivered tangible results and improve the early detection and prediction of coronary artery disease, offering clinicians powerful new tools for diagnosis and management.

SingCLOUD has provided population-level insights that shape healthcare strategies and national policy, while SingHEART has advanced the science of precision medicine by identifying risk factors and disease trajectories specific to Asian populations. SCDB continues to underpin quality reporting and clinical excellence, offering one of the most reliable cardiac datasets in the region.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate the transformative power of data when paired with strong governance, innovation, and collaboration.

Looking Ahead

The D2A! Core will expand by:

• Scaling AI and analytics across additional cardiovascular diseases.
• Building interoperable, multi-institutional data ecosystems.
• Advancing translational research bridging discovery and clinical care.
• Promoting education and training to empower clinicians and researchers in AI and digital health.

Get Involved

We welcome collaborations with clinicians, researchers, and industry partners.

• Collaborate: Access curated datasets and analytics tools.
• Innovate: Co-develop AI solutions and digital health applications.
• Accelerate: Translate research findings into improved patient care.

👉 Contact us to explore partnership opportunities and contribute to next-generation cardiovascular research.

Achievement

Grants/Awards:

1. NMRC NIG Grant (HSRNIG12nov012): "Long-term clinical outcomes, cost-of-care, quality-of-care, and re-admission rates in patients with coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure in Singapore (SingCLOUD): Proof of Concept", 22 August 2013 – 31 August 2015.
   
   
2. NMRC HSRG Grant (HSRG-OC17Nov007): "Long-term clinical outcomes, cost-of-care, clinical characteristics, re-admission rates, outpatient care and mortality in patients with coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, or atrial fibrillation in Singapore ("SingCLOUD" for Singapore Cardiac Longitudinal Outcomes Database Study)", 01 November 2019 – 31 October 2022.
   
   
3. COVID Top Up Grant (COVID19TUG21-0072): "Long-term clinical outcomes, cost-of-care, clinical characteristics, readmission rates, outpatient care and mortality in patients with coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure or atrial fibrillation in Singapore ("SingCLOUD" for Singapore Cardiac Longitudinal OUtcomes Database Study)", 01 December 2021 – 31 October 2022.
   
   
4. "SingHeart: A long-term longitudinal study on the cardiovascular health of normal people with biobanking, deep phenotyping, cardiac MRI and physical activity", April 2022.
   
   
5. RIE2020 Health and Biomedical Sciences (HBMS) Industry Alignment Fund Pre-positioning (IAF-PP) (H20C6a0032):"Artificial intelligence in Medicine Transformation (AIMx) program", 30 June 2021 – 29 June 2024
   
   
6. AI Singapore Grand Challenge Funding Scheme (Stage 2A) (AISG-GC-2019-001-2A): "JARVISDHL: Transforming Chronic Care for Diabetes, Hypertension and hyperLipidemia with AI", 01 November 2021 - 31 October 2023.
    

Selected Publications

1. Low ZK, Gao F, Sin KYK, Yap KH. Modified ultrafiltration reduces postoperative blood loss and transfusions in adult cardiac surgery: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, Cardiopulmonary bypass, Meta-analysis. Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery 2021 Jan 20; 1–12. doi: 10.1093/icvts/ivaa330.
   
   
2. Ng M, Tan HJG, Gao F, Tan JWC, Lim SH, Ong MEH, Ponampalam R. Comparative prospective study of the performance of chest pain scores and clinical assessment in an emergency department cohort in Singapore.J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open2020 Sep 5;1(5):723–729. doi:10.1002/emp2.12242.
   
   
3. Lim SL, Lau YH, Chan MY, Chua T, Tan HC, Foo D, Lim ZY, Liew BW, Shahidah N, Mao DR, Cheah SO, Chia MYC, Gan HN, Leong BSH, Ng YY, Yeo KK, Ong MEH. Early Coronary Angiography Is Associated with Improved 30-Day Outcomes among Patients with Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest. J Clin Med. 2021;10(21):5191. Published 2021 Nov 6. doi: 10.3390/jcm10215191
   
   
4. Wong JJ, Umapathy S, Keh YS, Lau YH, Yap J, Idu M, Chin CY, Fam JM, Liew BW, Chin CT, Wong P, Koh TH, Yeo KK. Coronary Intravascular Lithotripsy Versus Rotational Atherectomy in an Asian Population: Clinical Outcomes in Real-World Patients. Korean Circ J. 2022;52e9. Forthcoming. Published online 2021 Nov 29. doi:10.4070/kcj.2021.0155
   
   
5. Wang ZS, Yap J, Koh YLE, Chia SY, Nivedita N, Ang TWA, Goh SCP, Lee CS, Tan LLJ, Ooi CW, Seow M, Yeo KK, Chua SJT, Tan NC. Predicting Coronary Artery Disease in Primary Care: Development and Validation of a Diagnostic Risk Score for Major Ethnic Groups in Southeast Asia. Journal of General Internal Medicine 2021 Jun;36(6): 1514-1524. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-06701-z.
   
   
6. Yap J, Keh YS, Shen T, Lam CSP, Chia SY, Jaufeerally FR, Ong W, Sim D, Ching CK. QRS duration and cardiovascular mortality in Asian patients with heart failure and preserved and reduced ejection fraction. Cardiol J 2021;28(1):166-169. doi: 10.5603/CJ.a2020.0041.
   
   
7.  Koh LJ, Teo SH, Jiang Y, Hwang EHJ, Lee ES. Difficulties faced by patients with chronic diseases in the primary care setting in Singapore: a cross-sectional study. Singapore Med J 2021; 62(9): 466-471. doi: 10.11622/smedj.2020062.
   
   
8. Choo JCJ, Kwek JL, Lim CC, Mok IY,Chua HR, Jiang Y, Gao F, Tan KJY, Crespo-Avilan GE, Jafar TH, Hausenloy DJ. The Effect of Remote Ischaemic Conditioning on Blood Pressure control in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: the ERIC-BP-CKD Pilot Study. Conditioning Medicine 2021 (in press).