This paper provides an overview of health information management practices in Singapore, based on personal observation and interviews with health information managers in five Singaporean hospitals. In Singapore borrowing a medical record often requires a formal request and a permanent tracer is maintained for each record. Medical officers generally have more responsibility than in Australia for coding, which is completed within three days of discharge. A Singapore-wide centralised patient database has been developed which is an important source of information about patient drug allergies. Record design and assembly, release of information and centralised registries are also described.
