As part of our International Women’s Day series in March, we share Shalini’s story on the importance of humanising technology through her work as a Lead Analyst in HealthTech. With a deep focus on gaining insight into the needs of HealthTech users, her work in the Next Generation Electronic Medical Record (NGEMR) Department allows her to drive technology to become more patient-centred.
Shalini’s story highlights the power of listening to others and caring for oneself in an increasingly tech-reliant society. In this interview, Shalini delves into her work experience, her observations about HealthTech, and her motivation to impact the lives of others on a large scale.
Can you share more about your role and expertise?
As a Lead Analyst in the System Production Team of NGEMR, my primary focus is on incident management and response. Given that NGEMR is a centralised medical record system currently deployed in the National Healthcare Group and the National University Health System clusters, it is widely used by healthcare professionals to track a patient’s entire journey in Singapore’s healthcare system.
Having been in the tech field since I was 17 and holding a degree in Computer Science, I have always been drawn to problem-solving and optimising systems. This has equipped me with the technical expertise to work with a large-scale healthcare system like NGEMR effectively.
To ensure that healthcare professionals can access the system conveniently and perform their roles efficiently, my team and I take great responsibility in minimising unnecessary system disruptions. I often take on multiple roles to ensure that NGEMR runs smoothly – whether its overseeing incident management, ensuring that any updates or modifications comply with established protocols and guidelines, preventing new changes from destabilising the system, or streamlining workflows and tasks to improve its productivity.
In essence, my work contributes to improving patient care by ensuring that NGEMR is a stable and reliable system in healthcare.
What drew you into joining HealthTech?
I found that there is a growing need for the health systems we use today to evolve and become more patient-centred rather than simply being a platform for us to achieve a certain objective, be it reviewing results, scheduling appointments, etc.
Joining HealthTech felt like an opportunity to not just work in the tech industry and create something, but also to be a part of something that could improve the lives of many.
What is your superpower as a woman working in HealthTech?
My superpower would be the ability to merge empathy with technology. I believe that understanding the human side of healthcare is just as important as the technology behind it. By identifying and empathising with users on the challenges they face when using tech, my team and I can ensure that the tech we develop meets both the technical requirements and enhances the user experience.
Developing empathy takes practice. It requires patience, asking the right questions, and respecting the expertise of healthcare professionals. By actively engaging with users and truly understanding their needs, we can have more meaningful interactions and develop solutions that serve the clinicians better.
What is one project that allowed you to exercise your superpower?
One project I worked on that allowed me to bridge users and tech was related to unacknowledged clinical report results. The concern was that a delay in the timely acknowledgement of results increases the risk of a delayed or missed diagnosis for patients.
My team and I took the time to identify the problem in the current processes within the system, as well as listen to the users’ frustrations and concerns. Through active listening and engagement with the users, we gained a deeper understanding of the challenges they were facing, such as a lack of awareness about outstanding reports, system issues that made tracking of results cumbersome, and gaps in the results assignment process.
We worked tirelessly throughout the project to get continuous feedback from users to ensure that these pain points were addressed. This allowed us to make the results acknowledgement dashboard and the report more intuitive, as well as ensure that it contains the necessary clinical information, we reduced the overall unacknowledgement rate by 38%!
What has your experience been like working in tech, a traditionally male-dominated industry?
At times, there is an unspoken pressure to be exceptional just to be heard or to demonstrate my competence. This challenge can even be greater for working mothers who juggle multiple responsibilities and have differing priorities.
Personally, striking a balance has been key. It is about learning to accept that I did my best while focusing on what truly matters – delivering quality work to the best of my ability while also maintaining a healthy work-life balance to prioritise my family and well-being. Practicing self-compassion and resisting the urge to compare myself to others have also been helpful in navigating the working environment.
Can you share some words of advice for aspiring women in tech?
I hope you can trust yourself, your skills and your knowledge, and continue learning. Remember that you are just as capable as anyone else and that you can leverage the resources and support of those around you.
How can we inspire more young women to explore careers in HealthTech?
Early exposure to HealthTech through school programmes or extra-curricular activities can help spark interest from a young age.
Additionally, mentoring opportunities where women can connect with and learn from other women in tech can provide guidance, encouragement and a sense of community.
Want to learn more about NGEMR, the realities of working in HealthTech, and embark on a fulfilling career at the national HealthTech agency, Synapxe? Hear more from Lynn, a recently graduated Systems Analyst for NGEMR: https://www.synapxe.sg/blog/career-stories/healthtech-system-analyst-ngemr
