Workshop Design

Welcome to the Future.

From today's operating logic into futures participants can feel, question, and shape.

SAMPLE NUHS MICROSOFT

Workshop Concept

Invites participants to temporarily become futurists to help them move from present-day operating mode and into a more imaginative future posture.

Roleplay

As Time Masters, Navigators, Architects and more

Time Travel

Explore various futures

Breakfree

From today's operating logic

Workshop Arc

Workshop Outline

01

Initiation

02

The Time Stream

03

Redefine healthcare

04

Return to the Present

01: INITIATION / INCOMING TRANSMISSION

Transmission from one possible future

This is not a prediction. It is a warning signal from a future we can still shape.

Source: 2036 / Population Health Network Signal received

We kept building faster. But the health needs of our population grew faster still.

No matter how hard we worked, healthcare capacity could not keep up. Teams stretched, burnout deepened, and every incremental improvement delivered less return.

Eventually, unmet need became delayed care, avoidable harm, and widening inequity.

Demand

Health needs accelerate

Capacity

Workforce reaches its limit

Investment

Improvements barely move the needle

Consequence

Delay becomes harm

One possible future / Not inevitable

What if the answer is not to build faster, but to imagine a different system?

01: INITIATION / EXAMPLE EDM
Full preview of the NUHS Horizon 2040 transmission workshop invitation
CNA headline: WHO projects a shortage of 11 million health workers by 2030
CNA headline: Healthcare cannot keep hiring its way out
CNA headline: Singapore needs 13,600 new beds just to keep up
01: INITIATION / FIELD NOTES

The signs were already there.

Observations / 2026
Observed in the present

Dan's Field Notes

Six encounters with the operating logic patients and care teams navigate every day.

6 entries / Open the journal
01: INITIATION / FIELD NOTES

Entry 01: Waiting time seems unsolvable

Entry 01 / Colin
Colin waiting at a polyclinic and facing access friction
01 / Colin
Fifah navigating multiple hospital departments
02 / Fifah
Auntie Linda moving through repeated referrals and waits
03 / Linda
Razak carrying the burden of self-managing fragmented care
04 / Razak
Colin receiving urgent care in the emergency department after a heart attack
05 / Colin / ED
Wei in a crowded A&E where urgent and avoidable cases compete for care
06 / Wei / A&E
01: INITIATION / FIELD NOTES

Entry 02: Care feels like a maze

Entry 02 / Fifah
Fifah navigating multiple hospital departments
02 / Fifah
Colin waiting at a polyclinic and facing access friction
01 / Colin
Auntie Linda moving through repeated referrals and waits
03 / Linda
Razak carrying the burden of self-managing fragmented care
04 / Razak
Colin receiving urgent care in the emergency department after a heart attack
05 / Colin / ED
Wei in a crowded A&E where urgent and avoidable cases compete for care
06 / Wei / A&E
01: INITIATION / FIELD NOTES

Entry 03: Queue systems everywhere

Entry 03 / Auntie Linda
Auntie Linda moving through repeated referrals and waits
03 / Linda
Colin waiting at a polyclinic and facing access friction
01 / Colin
Fifah navigating multiple hospital departments
02 / Fifah
Razak carrying the burden of self-managing fragmented care
04 / Razak
Colin receiving urgent care in the emergency department after a heart attack
05 / Colin / ED
Wei in a crowded A&E where urgent and avoidable cases compete for care
06 / Wei / A&E
01: INITIATION / FIELD NOTES

Entry 04: Patients are the integration layer

Entry 04 / Razak
Razak carrying the burden of self-managing fragmented care
04 / Razak
Colin waiting at a polyclinic and facing access friction
01 / Colin
Fifah navigating multiple hospital departments
02 / Fifah
Auntie Linda moving through repeated referrals and waits
03 / Linda
Colin receiving urgent care in the emergency department after a heart attack
05 / Colin / ED
Wei in a crowded A&E where urgent and avoidable cases compete for care
06 / Wei / A&E
01: INITIATION / FIELD NOTES

Entry 05: Care arrives only after crisis

Entry 05 / Colin / Emergency
Colin receiving urgent care in the emergency department after a heart attack
05 / Colin / ED
Colin waiting at a polyclinic and facing access friction
01 / Colin
Fifah navigating multiple hospital departments
02 / Fifah
Auntie Linda moving through repeated referrals and waits
03 / Linda
Razak carrying the burden of self-managing fragmented care
04 / Razak
Wei in a crowded A&E where urgent and avoidable cases compete for care
06 / Wei / A&E
01: INITIATION / FIELD NOTES

Entry 06: A&E has become the catch-all front door

Entry 06 / Wei / A&E
Wei in a crowded A&E where urgent and avoidable cases compete for care
06 / Wei / A&E
Colin waiting at a polyclinic and facing access friction
01 / Colin
Fifah navigating multiple hospital departments
02 / Fifah
Auntie Linda moving through repeated referrals and waits
03 / Linda
Razak carrying the burden of self-managing fragmented care
04 / Razak
Colin receiving urgent care in the emergency department after a heart attack
05 / Colin / ED
01: INITIATION / MISSION BRIEFING

Mission Briefing

Leave

Today's operating logic

Travel

Through time to different worlds

Learn

What each future makes possible

Return

Redefine healthcare

Non-negotiable This cannot be an optimisation of today's operating logic.
Bring home A new definition of healthcare.
01

Patient experience

What do patients experience differently?

02

Work removed

What work disappears entirely?

03

Total resources

How does total resource use change?

Workshop Arc

Workshop Outline

01

Initiation

02

The Time Stream

03

Redefine healthcare

04

Return to the Present

02: THE TIME STREAM

Travelling through worlds of possibility

Each world contains one bold idea. We land, explore its rules, then move on.

World 01

Digital phenotypes

Next stop
World 02

AI-first care

World 03

AI companions

World 04

Installable expertise

We land, learn, and lift-off.
02: THE TIME STREAM

In this world AI becomes the first point of care

AI performs the clinical reasoning, then directs patients and their care teams on what to do next.

World 02 / AI-First Care
World premise AI outperforms on clinical reasoning

Patient feels unwell

Starts with AI, not an appointment.

AI reasons first

History, diagnosis, tests and plan.

Shared care plan

AI sends instructions directly to both.

Patient + care team

Act together on coordinated next steps.

What if?

What if AI became the first point of care?

AI clinical task stack

14 tasks / completed first
  1. Take medical history
  2. Ask diagnostic follow-up questions
  3. Summarise patient records
  4. Identify possible diagnoses
  5. Select the most likely diagnosis
  6. Integrate symptoms, history and test results
  7. Decide which tests to order
  8. Interpret laboratory results
  9. Develop treatment plans
  10. Select appropriate medications
  11. Decide on admission versus discharge
  12. Plan follow-up appointments and investigations
  13. Manage patients over multiple consultations
  14. Recognise uncertainty and defer cases
Colin's care intelligence identifies an anomaly and alerts his AI care agent
02: THE TIME STREAM

In this world AI companions are prescribed like medicine

The prescription is the AI companion, configured for the person's condition, context, goals, and care plan.

World 03 / Prescribed AI Companions
AI companion prescription

Patient need profile

Post-discharge Medication support Low confidence Caregiver overseas
Prescription: Recovery Companion
Role Guide recovery at home and keep the care team connected
Functions Daily check-ins, symptom monitoring, medication prompts, mobility coaching
Escalation Alert the care team when risk or uncertainty crosses a safe threshold
Duration Adaptive, until recovery goals are met
Companion activated

The companion changes as the person's needs change. The prescription is reviewed like any other care intervention.

Your prescribed companion is ready

Rx matched / activated
Prescribed to Maya / Recovery pathway

AYA

Your Recovery Companion

Calm Encouraging Clinically connected
Morning check-ins Medication support Mobility coaching Care-team escalation
AYA knows Maya's goals, celebrates progress, notices changes, and stays alongside her throughout recovery.
What if?

What if the prescription was an AI companion matched to you?

02: THE TIME STREAM

In this world Care follows a living digital phenotype

Continuously updated signals enable personalized diagnosis, safer treatment, continuous care, and relapse prevention.

World 01 / Digital Phenotypes
From retrospective To continuously alive

Longitudinal health profile

Medical records
Tests + treatments
Episodes over time

Digital phenotype

Physiology Behaviour Environment Care signals
A living model that changes as the person changes, not only when a record is added.

Personalized Diagnosis & Safe Treatment

Care decisions reflect the person's current patterns, risks, and likely response.

Earlier diagnosis Treatment fit Risk guardrails

Continuous Care & Relapse Prevention

Subtle changes trigger support before deterioration becomes a crisis.

Live monitoring Early warning Proactive support
What if?

What if care followed a living picture of you?

02: THE TIME STREAM

In this world Specialist intelligence becomes installable

Specialist intelligence is packaged, certified, updated, and embedded into any system precisely when that expertise is needed.

World 04 / Specialist Intelligence Chips
Specialist intelligence library Select / Install / Update
CardiologyRhythm, risk, and treatment logic
RadiologyImaging interpretation and triage
OncologyTumour pathways and therapies
ObstetricsMaternal and fetal intelligence
NeurologyBrain, movement, and cognition
GeriatricsComplex ageing and frailty
Certified scope Live evidence updates Auditable reasoning Instant rollback

Install expertise wherever care happens

The system gains a specialist without moving a person.

+ CARD

Home diagnostic

Cardiology expertise appears inside a household device.

+ RAD

Ambulance scanner

Imaging expertise travels with every emergency crew.

+ ONC

Surgical robot

Oncology intelligence joins the procedure on demand.

+ GERI

Neighbourhood pod

Geriatric expertise is available within every community.

What if?

What if specialist expertise could be installed wherever care happens?

02: THE TIME STREAM

In this world Trained operators deliver most care

People qualify quickly to operate AI-enabled devices, follow validated protocols, and escalate only when specialist judgment is needed.

World 05 / AI-Enabled Care Operators
AI clinical engine One engine / Many certified operators

Device signals

Scans, tests, images, and measurements.

Screens + diagnoses

Interprets results and selects the validated next-step protocol.

Home operator Runs guided treatment
Care-pod operator Operates diagnostics
Neighbourhood operator Delivers local care
Mobile operator Reaches underserved areas
Certified scope Validated protocols Audited decisions Clinician escalation

Train for a safe role, not an entire profession

Focused certification grows the workforce much faster.

01

Learn the device

Setup, operation, hygiene, and quality checks.

02

Practise the protocol

Follow AI-guided steps across common scenarios.

03

Certify the scope

Demonstrate safe performance and clear limits.

04

Escalate exceptions

Route uncertainty and complex cases to clinicians.

Lower costLess scarce labour per episode
Wider accessCare in more locations
Faster trainingMonths, not full professional pathways
What if?

What if access depended on many safe operators, not scarce specialists?

02: THE TIME STREAM

In this world Chief Nurses orchestrate the care network

Clinical leadership becomes real-time systems strategy: matching AI capacity, care workers, hospital teams, and community partners to changing needs.

World 06 / Care Orchestration
Care orchestration console / Live shift Demand, capacity, risk
AI capacityTriage, monitoring, reasoning, coordination
Care workersNurses, operators, clinicians, therapists
Care partnersHome, community, social and private partners
CHIEF NURSE Clinical command + system strategy
Acuity surgeRapid escalation and safe coverage
Home complexityCompose a mixed team around the patient
Community demandShift capacity before queues become crises
Right capabilityAI and human strengths combined
Right placeHospital, home, pod, or community
Right momentReallocated as conditions change
A different leadership skill set

Clinical judgment at system scale

See the whole systemRead demand, risk, capacity, and bottlenecks as one live picture.
Compose mixed teamsMatch AI, people, and partners to the work each can do best.
Reallocate continuouslyMove capability as patient needs and operating conditions change.
Protect safetyKeep accountability, escalation, and clinical standards visible.
Care is composed, not merely scheduled.
What if?

What if Chief Nurses orchestrated people, AI, and partners across the whole care network?

02: THE TIME STREAM

In this world AI trains care teams at scale

Doctors, nurses, and therapists practise safely, receive instant coaching, and qualify faster to meet rising healthcare needs.

World 07 / AI-Trained Workforce
Simulation lab / Case 1842 Safe practice / Live feedback
Doctor trainee Diagnosis + treatment decisions
Doctor leading Colin's group consultation
Nurse trainee Assessment + escalation
Nurse caring for Colin in the emergency department
Therapist trainee Communication + recovery planning
AI coach Observes every choice and adapts the next case

A faster path to demonstrated competence

More practice opportunities without putting real patients at risk.

01

Practise realistic cases

Unlimited simulated patients across conditions and complexity.

02

Receive instant AI coaching

Reasoning, communication, teamwork, and safety feedback.

03

Target individual gaps

Every learner receives the next case they most need.

04

Prove competence sooner

Qualify when standards are demonstrated, not simply when time passes.

More qualified people. Same safety bar. Faster.

Training capacity scales with rising healthcare demand.

What if?

What if every learner practised thousands of cases before treating a real patient?

02: THE TIME STREAM

In this world Doctors and AI train each other

Like elite chess and Go training, clinicians and AI repeatedly challenge each other, expose weaknesses, adapt, and rematch.

World 08 / Human-AI Training Matrix
Human-AI matrix / Round 1000 Challenge flows both ways

Doctor

Judgment, context, empathy, and rare edge cases

Test / Explain / Counter / Adapt

AI

Patterns, simulations, counterexamples, and relentless practice

Doctor challenges AIAmbiguous cases, lived context, ethics, and exceptions.
AI challenges doctorHidden patterns, unfamiliar variants, and alternative strategies.

A continuous co-evolution loop

Neither side stays static. Every round reshapes the next.

01

Challenge

Present a case designed to expose a weakness.

02

Explain

Make the reasoning visible and contestable.

03

Adapt

Update the model, strategy, or clinical judgment.

04

Rematch

Return with a harder case and a higher standard.

The frontier is human + AI performance

The goal is not to preserve who wins, but to keep raising what excellent care can achieve.

What if?

What if doctors and AI trained against each other until both became better?

02: THE TIME STREAM

In this world Clinicians engineer their own care devices

Doctors, nurses, and therapists rapidly create low-cost devices for treatment at home, in care pods, and across neighbourhoods.

World 09 / Clinician-Built Devices
Clinician maker lab Need to prototype / Same day

Care need

People need safe treatment closer to where they live.

Doctor insight Nurse workflow Therapist usability
AI co-designPrototype 04
Open design Repairable Locally adaptable

Validated device

Low-cost, focused, and ready for distributed care.

Clinical validation Safety certification Shared design library

Many small devices. Care everywhere.

Products are designed around a specific need and deployment setting.

Smart wound patch

Monitors healing and guides dressing changes after discharge.

Home treatment

Portable diagnostics kit

Runs essential tests without a full clinic footprint.

Care pod

Modular therapy station

Supports shared rehabilitation close to where people live.

Neighbourhood
What if?

What if care teams engineered the devices they need?

02: THE TIME STREAM

In this world Doctors care for patients in groups

Care is organised around shared needs, not one appointment at a time.

World 10 / Collective Care
Shared consultation / Live care circle
World rule
Shared learning Peer support One-to-many More access
What if?

What if doctors cared for patients in groups, not one at a time?

02: THE TIME STREAM

In this world Subsidies reward adherence

Financial support changes dynamically according to verified care-plan adherence.

World 11 / Adherence-Linked Subsidies
Adherence-to-support engine Live allocation
Patient A92% adherence
Higher subsidy
Patient B68% adherence
Standard subsidy
Patient C34% adherence
Basic subsidy
World rule
Verified adherence Dynamic support Behaviour-linked Tiered subsidy
What if?

What if higher adherence unlocked higher healthcare subsidies?

02: THE TIME STREAM

In this world Care is tested on your digital twin

Each new layer adds context, moves care from measurement to simulation, and keeps the intelligence below it.

World 12 / Digital Twin Stack
Cumulative health intelligence Capabilities compound upward
1+2+3+4+5+6 Digital twin Simulation Test treatments virtually before touching the body
1+2+3+4+5 Exposome + social context Root-cause prevention Address external triggers in daily life
1+2+3+4 Digital phenotype Continuous care Prevent crises between doctor visits
1+2+3 Health records + profiles Precision diagnosis Treat the person, not only the symptom
1+2 Biomarkers Screening Catch silent warning signs early
1 Raw signals + data streams Measurement See a single snapshot of the body
Level 06 / Living AI simulation

Zero-risk simulation + true predictive medicine

Cumulative by design Every layer persists Continuously updated
What if?

What if we tested care on your digital twin before touching your body?

02: THE TIME STREAM

In this world Dorchitects design health into every HDB

A new profession combines clinical science, architecture, and community design to create homes that actively prevent illness and support lifelong wellbeing.

World 13 / The Dorchitect
Dorchitect precinct plan / BLK 2040 Housing that actively produces health
COOL LIFT CORE ADAPTABLE HOME OPEN VOID DECK BLK 2040 CARE POD
Easy access by defaultFast lifts connect to sheltered, step-free routes with regular rest points.
Air, shade + thermal comfortVentilation and heat-responsive spaces.
Homes that adapt with youRooms change for ageing, recovery, and caregiving.
Care at the void deckScreening and early intervention within the block.
Community as medicineShared gardens and anti-isolation spaces.
A precinct that learnsOutcomes continuously improve future designs.

DORCHITECT

A new health-building profession

CLINICIAN+ARCHITECT+SYSTEMS DESIGNER
01

Diagnose places

Find where the built environment produces health risks.

02

Prescribe environments

Turn clinical evidence into spatial interventions.

03

Measure outcomes

Adapt homes and precincts using population data.

What if?

What if your home came with a health plan designed into the building?

02: THE TIME STREAM

In this world Civic Physicians treat the whole town

The town is the patient. Its citizens are the cells. Housing, air, mobility, food, and social connection become systems to diagnose and heal.

World 14 / The Civic Physician
Patient record / Town 2040 Population health anatomy
TOWN HEART PARK LUNGS ROADS = CIRCULATION
Air + parks are lungsBreathing conditions become civic vital signs.
Mobility is circulationTransit and streets move people, food, and support.
Housing is tissueHomes determine exposure, recovery, and resilience.
Community is immunitySocial networks detect and respond to vulnerability.
Citizens are the cellsIndividual wellbeing reveals the health of the whole.

CIVIC PHYSICIAN

A new profession for population-scale healing

PATIENT: TOWN↔CELLS: CITIZENS
01

Diagnose the town

Read health patterns across places, systems, and populations.

02

Prescribe civic treatment

Change housing, mobility, food, air, and community conditions.

03

Monitor recovery

Track whether the town and its citizens become healthier together.

What if?

What if a doctor's patient was the whole town?

02: Time Stream

Tag and explore the worlds

The further we travel out in time, the wider the cone grows. The more we have to leave our comfort zones behind.

In breakout sessions, explore the worlds together.

Probable
Plausible
Possible
Preposterous

How to tag

Choose one or more tags. There is no single correct answer.

Probable
Plausible
Possible
Preposterous
Workshop Arc

Workshop Outline

01

Initiation

02

The Time Stream

03

Redefine healthcare

04

Return to the Present

03: Redefine Healthcare

A vivid futuristic story

A journey through future care
03: Redefine Healthcare

What if care reached Colin before he became a patient?

NUHS proactively reaches Colin at home before he becomes a patient
From Patient-triggered care
To System-triggered proactive outreach
03: Redefine Healthcare

What if we challenged our workflows?

AI agents build Colin's longitudinal health profile before he needs care
From Records assembled after Colin becomes a patient
To A longitudinal profile built before Colin needs care
03: Redefine Healthcare

What if we could predict healthcare needs and resources?

NUHS predicts population health needs, service demand, and resource requirements
From Capacity planned after demand appears
To Needs and resources predicted before demand arrives
03: Redefine Healthcare

What if we knew your healthy baseline before anything changed?

Colin's AI agent offers optional tests to make his health profile more complete
From First measurements taken after symptoms appear
To A personal baseline established while you are well
03: Redefine Healthcare

What if we deliberately reduce hospital visits?

Colin completes automated, AI-guided health checks in a neighbourhood mall pod
From Routine diagnostics tied to clinics and appointments
To Human-centred self-service diagnostics in everyday places
03: Redefine Healthcare

What if we could stress-test our care plans with AI?

Clinicians and AI train together in a healthcare intelligence dojo to improve preventive care plans
From Preventive plans built from static protocols and past evidence
To Plans continuously simulated, challenged and improved by clinicians and AI
03: Redefine Healthcare

What if we change our one-size-fits-all approach?

Colin chooses between personalised preventive plans with help from his personal AI agent
From A standard plan prescribed after diagnosis
To Personalised preventive options chosen before illness
03: Redefine Healthcare

What if care was continuous, not episodic?

Colin's wearable continuously updates his health baseline during his morning routine
From Care informed by isolated episodes and appointments
To Everyday wearable data continuously informing the care plan
03: Redefine Healthcare

What if care was invisible intelligence?

Invisible care intelligence follows Colin through everyday life
From Care as a physical place you go to only when sick
To Care as invisible intelligence, always present everywhere
03: Redefine Healthcare

What if detection was proactive?

Colin's care intelligence detects a subtle health anomaly proactively
From Changes noticed only after symptoms appear
To Subtle anomalies detected before they become problems
03: Redefine Healthcare

What if interventions were AI-powered?

Colin is connected instantly to the right care after an anomaly is detected
CHIEF NURSE Clinical orchestration + rapid connection
From Intervention delayed by appointments and coordination
To AI-orchestrated intervention at the moment of need
03: Redefine Healthcare

What if every test did not require its own trained professional?

Colin receives first-visit support from one human operator overseeing multiple self-service heart scan stations
Cardiology Rhythm, risk, and treatment logic
From One trained professional required for every diagnostic test
To One operator supporting many AI-guided diagnostic stations close to home
03: Redefine Healthcare

What if an AI companion could be prescribed as part of recovery?

Colin reviews his cardiac results with his personal AI and receives a prescribed AI recovery companion
+
From Static recovery instructions patients manage alone
To A prescribed AI companion that guides recovery and escalates changes to the care team
03: Redefine Healthcare

What if routine follow-ups became shared consultations?

Colin attending a clinician-led group consultation with people who have similar conditions
From One clinician repeating the same guidance one patient at a time
To One group consultation combining clinical guidance, shared learning and peer support
03: Redefine Healthcare

What if better outcomes required less high-cost clinical care?

Colin's personal AI, prescribed recovery companion, and hospital intelligence coordinate his step-down care and prevent an emergency episode
+
From Recovery that repeatedly draws on hospital visits, specialist time and emergency capacity
To Lower-cost connected support that prevents escalation and reserves clinical care for where it adds value
Workshop Arc

Workshop Outline

01

Initiation

02

The Time Stream

03

Redefine healthcare

04

Return to the Present

04: Return to the Present

Care is everywhere

Entry / after visiting 2036

The hospital as a physical destination will be a thing of the past. The hospital becomes an intelligence hub, orchestrating and distributing care.

Hospital no longer as a physical destination

From destination

Care is anchored around the hospital as the place people travel to.

To intelligence hub

The hospital coordinates signals, people, AI, and services across many care settings.

04: Return to the Present

Care is human + AI intelligence

Entry / after visiting 2036

The hospital becomes a distributed care network where humans and AI intelligence work together across many settings.

Distributed human and AI care network

From site-based care

People move through separate services, teams, and care locations.

To distributed care

AI and care teams coordinate around the patient wherever care happens.

04: Return to the Present

The hospital is the ecosystem

Entry / after visiting 2036

The hospital scales intelligence across the system, connecting data, decisions, people, and interventions in real time.

AI-powered hospital ecosystem

From institution

The hospital is understood as a place, a building, and a set of departments.

To ecosystem

The hospital becomes an intelligence layer that scales expertise across the care network.

04: Return to the Present

For the patients

From episodic
continuous
From generic
personalized
From hospital-centered
home-and-community connected
From reactive
predictive and preventive
From scarce
abundant
04: Return to the Present

Care is no longer rationed by clinician time.

FROM
Current operating logic
CARE ACCESS = CLINICIAN AVAILABILITY

ONE CLINICAL DOOR

Appointments, referrals, and professional availability control access.

1 DOOR / MANY WAITING
Healthcare is a scarce professional service, rationed through appointments, referrals and clinician availability.
TO
Future operating logic
CARE ACCESS = ALWAYS-ON INTELLIGENCE
AI-DELIVERED VALIDATED CARE / ALWAYS ON
CARE
AROUND
ME
Home
Device
Community pod
AI companion
HUMAN EXPERTISEONLY WHERE JUDGMENT ADDS VALUE
Healthcare is intelligent and continuously accessible. AI delivers validated care; human expertise is reserved for where it adds value.
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