Building a Community of Practice in Implementation Science for Geriatric Medicine
22 May 2026
The Community of Practice (CoP) in IS for Geriatric Medicine was established to provide a dedicated collaborative space that aims to build a stronger, more connected community of geriatric medicine practitioners equipped to drive meaningful change in how care is delivered to older adults in Singapore.
What does it take to move evidence into everyday clinical practice?
In geriatric medicine, where patient needs are complex and clinical contexts vary considerably, how we adapt and embed research evidence into practice – in other words, the implementation process – is just as crucial as the research itself.
With Singapore moving towards a super-aged society, this gap is not just an academic concern — it is an urgent, real-world challenge. GERI’s recent survey of geriatric medicine specialists across nine public hospitals found that nearly half of respondents had no prior experience with implementation science (IS). The finding was striking — but more importantly, it pointed to a clear opportunity.
The CoP in IS for Geriatric Medicine was established to provide a dedicated collaborative space that aims to build a stronger, more connected community of geriatric medicine practitioners equipped to drive meaningful change in how care is delivered to older adults in Singapore.
Organised as a collaboration between researchers and clinical practitioners*, the CoP provides a platform for practitioners from the geriatric medicine community to share experiences, learn from one another, and strengthen how evidence is translated into real-world clinical care through effective implementation methods and strategies.
Putting Implementation Science into Practice: The INFA Programme
Our inaugural CoP session (22 May 2026) featured Dr Justin Chew, Senior Consultant, Geriatric Medicine and Deputy Director, Institute of Geriatrics and Active Ageing, Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and GERI's Research Fellow, Dr Grace Sum, who presented an interactive showcase and led an in-depth discussion of the Inpatient Nursing Frailty Assessment (INFA) Programme — a collaboration between GERI and TTSH to embed nursing frailty assessment and management into non-geriatric medicine wards.
The session offered participants a vivid, real-world illustration of IS in action. By walking through the process of stakeholder engagement, needs analysis and the selection of implementation strategies, Dr Chew and Dr Sum demonstrated how IS can be applied systematically to navigate the complexities of implementing geriatric care models beyond specialist settings — and what it truly takes to make evidence stick in everyday clinical practice.
Looking Ahead
As the CoP continues to grow, we look forward to deepening these conversations and building a community that is equipped and inspired to advance the implementation and evaluation of preventive and care models in geriatrics, as well as digital health and AI solutions, ultimately bringing evidence-based care to older adults across Singapore.
*Organised by members of CoP Core Group clinicians from from Alexandra Hospital, Changi General Hospital Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, National University Polyclinics, NHG Polyclinics, Sengkang General Hospital, SingHealth Polyclinics, St Luke's Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Woodlands Health.
In collaboration with Knowledge Translation Program, St Michael’s Hospital, Canada.
Secretariat: Geriatric Education & Research Institute.