SINGAPORE, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Singapore is adapting artificial intelligence (AI) foundation models to local healthcare needs under a national initiative that initially focuses on cardiometabolic conditions and eye diseases, with plans to eventually integrate the technology into the country's electronic medical records system.
Announcing the Singapore Medical Foundation AI Model (SIMFONI) initiative on Thursday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the AI models would be trained on local clinical data and guidelines.
The Consortium for Clinical Research and Innovation, which leads the initiative, said Singapore's healthcare system faces mounting pressure from an aging population, a rising burden of chronic diseases and a stretched clinical workforce.
Most AI foundation models used in healthcare are trained on data from Western populations, limiting their accuracy and relevance in Singapore's clinical setting, the consortium said.
Established in 2025, SIMFONI is initially focused on developing clinical decision-support tools for cardiometabolic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia, in primary care, as well as multimodal AI models to improve the diagnosis and management of eye diseases such as cataracts, retinal diseases and glaucoma.
The consortium said cardiometabolic conditions account for one of the largest chronic disease burdens in Singapore's primary care system. ■
