Dr Chow smiling

Adjunct Associate Professor

Email wl.chow@nus.edu.sg

CHOW Wai Leng

Dr Chow is Director, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division at the Ministry of Health, Singapore. She oversees the implementation of policies and disease specific strategies for non-communicable diseases in close collaboration with Health Promotion Board. This would include upstream preventive health efforts to encourage the population to adopt health lifestyle habits, such as mandatory nutrition labelling of prepacked sugar sweetened beverages and holistically addressing socio-behavioural determinants of health to improve child and maternal health as well as the War on Diabetes. Dr Chow also integrates the use of data and research for evidence-based policy decision as well as for surveillance and response for emerging public health threats such as COVID-19.

Dr Chow is a family physician by training and has extensive experience in health services research. She previously headed the Health Services Research department in Eastern Health Alliance/Changi General Hospital which focused on providing data and research findings to inform senior management decision-making and implementation research.

Dr Chow has keen research interests in developing and implementing new care models, the use of technology and analytics to nudge healthy behaviours, management of patients and resource allocation.  She continues to engage in research and publish on a wide range of topics with researchers from the clusters and I2R.

Affiliation

  • NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (Adjunct)
  • Ministry of Health, Singapore (Primary)
  • Institute of Infocomm Research (Adjunct)

Research Areas

  • Health Services Research
  • Telehealth and Telemedicine
  • Care Models
  • Programme Evaluation
  • Data Analytics

Academic/Professional Qualifications

  • Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine

Career History

  • Director, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health, Singapore (1 Oct 2020 – current)
  • Director, Health Services Integration and Development Division, Ministry of Health, Singapore (Oct 2018 – Sept 2020)
  • Deputy Director, Health Services Research, Changi General Hospital (Nov 2012 – Sept 2018)
  • Assistant Director, Centre for Health Services Research, Singapore Health Services Pte Ltd (July 2009 – November 2012)
  • Senior Manager, Quality Management, Singapore General Hospital (Aug 2007 – Sept 2009)
    • Concurrently, Senior Manager, Centre for Health Services Research, Singapore Health Services Pte Ltd (Aug 2007 – July 2009; concurrent appointment)
  • Medical Officer Appointments (2002 – 2007)
  • House Officer Appointments (2001 – 2002)

Selected Publications

    • Chng SY, Chow WL, Ngiam NSP, Hia CPP, Goh DYT. Treatment of refractory Salmonella enteritidis meningitis With intraventricular gentamicin – a case report. Singapore Paediatric Journal 2002; 44(1); 37-41.
    • Dan YY, Tambyah A, Sim J, Hsu LY, Chow WL, Fisher D, Wong YS, Ho KY, Lim J. Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Hospital Infection Control Response to an Epidemic Respiratory Virus Threat. Emerging Infectious Diseases 2009; 15 (12):1909-1916.
    • Tong SC, Aung ST, Lim JFY, Chow WL. Innovative Proven Clinical-Research Strategies for Participant Recruitment and Retention. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare 2010; 19(1); 64-68.
    • Chow WL, Lim JFY. Putting Health Services Research into Practice. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare 2011; 20(1); 32-40.
    • Chow WL, Tin AS, Meyyappan A. Factors Influencing Costs of Inpatient Ischaemic Stroke Care in Singapore. Proceedings of Singapore Health 2010; 19(4); 283-291.
    • Oh HC, Chow WL. Scientific Evaluation of Polyclinic Operation Strategies With Discrete Event Simulation. International J of Simulation Modelling 2011; 10(4):165-176
    • T Kee, V Joshi, KVD Erf, WL Chow, TS Swah, P Goh, G Tan, S Yeo, R Tan, C Lim, J Lim, CM Chan. A large-scale survey of the Singapore public on the awareness of the human organ transplant act and its relationship to altruistic behaviour. Transplantation 2010; 90; 152
    • Ong SC, Chow WL, S van der Erf, VD Joshi, PS Tee, YM Lu, TYS Kee. Health-related quality of life for patients on kidney transplant waiting list – what factors really matter? Value in Health 2011; 14(3). DOI:10.1016/j.jval.2011.02.496
    • Chow WL, Wang WV, Low YS, Tse DWL, Lim J. Factors That Influence The Choice Of Seeking Treatment At Polyclincs. Singapore Med J 2012; 53(2): 109–115
    • M Bhargava, CY Cheung, C Sabanayagam, R Kawasaki, CA Harper, EL Lamoureux, WL Chow, A Ee, H Hamzah, M Ho, W Wong, TY Wong. Accuracy of diabetic retinopathy screening by trained non-physician graders using non-mydriatic fundus camera. Singapore Med J 2012; 53(11): 715–719
    • Wang V, Seow YY, Chow WL, Low YS, Lee A, Lim J. The influence of ethnicity on health-related quality of life of hemodialysis patients in Singapore. Journal of Artificial Organs 2012 Mar;35(3):217-25. doi: 10.5301/ijao.5000014
    • Ow Yong LM, Lim C, Chow WL, van der Erf S, Joshi VD, Lim JFY, Swah TS, Teo SSH, Goh PSC, Tan GCS, Kee TYS. Factors influencing living organ donation in Singapore. Progress in Transplantation 2012;22
    • Chow WL, Veena D Joshi, Tin Aung Soe, Saskia van der Erf, Jeremy Lim Fung Yen, Swah Teck Sin, Stephanie Teo Swee Hong, Paul Goh Soo Chye, Gilbert Tan Choon Seng, Crystal Lim and Terence Kee Yi-Shern. Limited knowledge of chronic kidney disease among primary care patients – a cross-sectional survey. BMC Nephrology, 13:54
    • Wang WV, Tan SM, Chow WL. The Impact of Mammographic Breast Cancer Screening in Singapore: A Comparison Between Screen-detected and Symptomatic Women. Asian Pacific J Cancer Prev 2012;12: 2449-2454
    • Wang WV, Koh PK, Chow WL, Lim JFY. Predictive genetic testing is a cost effective strategy in preventing hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer in Singapore. Familial Cancer. 2012. 10.1007/s10689-012-9513-y
    • Chow WL, Tin AS, Lim WW, Lim J, Kurup A, Ling ML, Tan AL, Ong BC. Efficacy of titanium dioxide compounds in preventing environmental contamination by meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Int J Infect Control 2013 (Sept); 9(3). doi: 10.3396/IJIC.v9i3.022.13
    • Oh HC, Chow WL, Wong JA, Tan MC. Evaluation of manpower scheduling strategies at outpatient pharmacy with discrete-event simulation. OR Insight (2013) 26, 71–84. doi:10.1057/ori.2012.9
    • Chow WL, Jiang JD, Cho LW, Foo JP, Fock KM and Chen R. Telehealth for improved glycaemic control in patients with poorly controlled diabetes after acute hospitalization — a preliminary study in Singapore. J Telemed Telecare published online July 22, 2014. doi:10.1177/1357633X145444
    • Malhotra, R; Chei C-L; Menon, E; Chow WL; Quah, S; Chan A; Matchar, DB. Short-Term Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms in Stroke Survivors and Their Family Caregivers. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases 2016, 25(1), 172-81
    • Pwee KH, Chow WL. Hospital-based health technology assessment in a public-sector tertiary hospital in Singapore. In Sampietro-Colom L, Martin J (Ed.), Hospital Based Health Technology Assessment. Springer International Publishing Switzerland. (Publication date: 2016; Pages 273-282)
    • KTG Leong, LY Wong, KCY Aung, M Macdonald, Y Cao, S Lee, WL Chow, AM Richards. Risk Stratification Model for 30-Day Heart Failure Readmission in a Multiethnic South East Asian Community. American Journal of Cardiology 119 (9), 1428-1432
    • Tee A, Chow WL, Burke C, Basavarajaiah G. Cost-effectiveness of indacaterol/glycopyrronium in comparison with salmeterol/fluticasone combination for patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a LANTERN population analysis from Singapore. Singapore Med J 2018, 1–21 https://doi.org/10.11622/smedj.2018022
    • JSE Chan, AS Tin, WL Chow, L Tiah, M Tiru, CE Lee. Frequent attenders at the emergency department: an analysis of characteristics and utilisation trends. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare 2018, 27 (1), 12-19
    • WA Ta, HL Goh, CS Tan, Y Sun, KCY Aung, ZW Teoh, KB Tan, ZY Lau, JA Abisheganaden, KH Lee, SF Wong, WL Chow, PV Kumar, ZC Choong, XY Ng, GL Ang, KL Chan, JS Lim, CO Low. Development and implementation of nationwide predictive model for admission prevention: System architecture & machine learning. Biomedical & Health Informatics (BHI), 2018 IEEE EMBS International Conference; 2018/3/4; 303-306
    • Chua SL, Chow WL. Development of Predictive Scoring Model for Risk Stratification of No-Show at a Public Hospital Specialist Outpatient Clinic. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare. In print.
    • Chow WL, Tan SM, Aung KCY, Chua SYN, Sim HC. Factors influencing quality of life of Asian breast cancer patients and their caregivers at diagnosis: perceived medical and psychosocial needs. Singapore Med J 2019 Aug 16. Epub 2019 Aug 16.
    • Kuan KK, Lim HC, Goh G, Arciaga GS, Goh PL, Mong RP, Chow WL, Tan HH. Cost savings and efficacy in management of paracetamol poisoning in a 23-hours emergency department observation unit: a comparison to inpatient care. Cureus 2019 Dec 5; 11(12):e6294. Epub 2019 Dec 5.
    • Oh HC, Chow WL, Gao Y, Tiah L, Goh SH, Mohan T. Factors associated with inappropriate attendances at the emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Singapore. Singapore Med J 2020 Feb 2;61(2):75-80. Epub 2019 May 2.
    • Tey SL, Chew STH, How CH, Yalawar M, Baggs G, Chow WL, Cheong M, Ong RHS, Husain FS, Kwan SC, Tan CYL, Low YL, Tan NG, Dieu TTH. Factors associated with muscle mass in community-dwelling older people in Singapore: Findings from the SHIELD study. PLoS One 2019 9;14(10):e0223222. Epub 2019 Oct 9.
    • Tey, S.L., Chew, S.T.H., How, C.H., Yalawar, M., Baggs, G., Chow, W.L., Cheong, M., Ong, R.H.S., Husain, F.S., Kwan, S.C., Tan, C.Y.L., Low, Y.L., Tan, N.C. and Huynh, D.T.T. Factors associated with muscle mass in community-dwelling older people in Singapore: Findings from the SHIELD study. PLOS ONE. 2019;14:e0223222. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223222
    • SH Ang, BH Rosario, KYI Ngeow, XY Koh, SA Hamid, FC Loi, JH Xu, S Nagsayi, SP Wilkinson, HPA Lee, WL Chow, YXC Chen, T Chandran, TCC Lien. Direct Admission from the Emergency Department to a Subacute Care Ward: An Alternative to Acute Hospitalization. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association 21(9), 1346-1348, 2020.
    • RHS Ong, WL Chow, M Cheong, GH Lim, WY Xie, G Baggs, DTT Huynh, HC Oh, CH How, NG Tan, SL Tey, STH Chew. Associations between socio-demographics, nutrition knowledge, nutrition competencies and attitudes in community-dwelling older adults in Singapore: Findings from the SHIELD study. Research Square 2020. Doi:https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-27187/v2
    • Chew, S.T.H., Tan, N.C., Cheong, M., Oliver, J., Baggs, G., Choe, Y., How, C.H., Chow, W.L., Tan, C.Y.L., Kwan, S.C., Husain, F.S., Low, Y.L., Huynh, D.T.T. and Tey, S.L. Impact of oral nutritional supplement with HMB on clinical, nutritional, and functional outcomes: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in community-dwelling older adults at risk of malnutrition. Clinical Nutrition. 2021;40(4):1879-1892. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2020.10.015
    • M Subramaniam, E Abdin, JA Vaingankar, S Chang, R Sambasivam, A Jeyagurunathan, LSE Seow, R van Dam, WL Chow, SA Chong. Association of adverse childhood experiences with diabetes in adulthood: results of a cross-sectional epidemiological survey in Singapore. BMJ open 11(3), e045167, 2021
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