Meet our GERI Researchers | Dr Tan Woan Shin

Dr Tan Woan Shin is a Joint Faculty member at GERI, and Deputy Director at the Health Services & Outcomes Research department in NHG. She believes that effective translation of research findings to practice and policy is needed to create meaningful impacts to improve population health. Her research work adopts a range of quantitative and qualitative methodologies to support evidence-based health services development, and to obtain a comprehensive understanding of mechanisms driving changes in complex health services interventions.

In this feature series, Dr Tan shares her thoughts on working at the intersection of policy, practice and research, sustaining community-based efforts and her advice for aspiring researchers.

How did you get into research and subsequently, get involved with projects related to ageing?

I did not have a specific idea of what career I wanted to pursue after my Bachelors degree. I applied to jobs based on my interest in public policies and to satisfy my own curiosity about how to make life better for people. Eventually, I landed a job as a junior research economist at the Ministry of National Development.

I feel very fortunate to able to work at the intersection of policy / practice and research throughout my career. It has allowed me to apply research methods to answer questions that potentially have an impact on the design and funding of new approaches to healthcare services delivery. It also continues to feed my personal curiosity about how things work, and to learn something new every day. 

I also see myself as an interdisciplinary researcher who works across domains, and ageing happens to be a key driver for poor health. That’s how I came into it.  

At GERI, you are currently leading an evaluation of the Geriatric Services Hub (GSH). The GSH is a novel multi-site programme that identifies and manages frailty among seniors in the community. What do you feel is significant about this research project?

Beyond the impact of GSH, the way that the evaluation has been set up is also unique. Central to this approach is the creation of a collaborative platform involving partners in health policy divisions, as well as programme directors, implementation teams and health services researchers from the acute hospitals.

The evaluation team at GERI takes an intermediate position between the implementers and policymakers at the Ministry of Health. We share our evaluation findings throughout the duration of the pilot as opposed to only at the conclusion of the project. This helps to support adjustments to be made on both sides, to support programme implementation on an ongoing basis.

In addition to GSH, you have also looked at Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, a health screening and assessment process to develop care plans for older persons. A common theme across both is how community support and collaboration can enhance senior care. What is needed for different parties to come together? 

To kickstart and sustain any community-based, multi-provider collaborative initiative, parties with different interests and varied cultures would need to come together. They must have strong willingness to move outside of their comfort zones to work towards a shared greater purpose. 

This can be challenging to scale. It’ll be interesting to better understand how best to facilitate this coming together across sectoral lines.

What do you like about being a GERI faculty? 

I enjoy the camaraderie within GERI, and the exchange of ideas with researchers from different healthcare clusters and universities (local, international) through various GERI platforms. 

What are some personal interests that you pursue in your spare time that help protect against functional decline? 

I practice yoga at least twice a week, and go for walks or play basketball when I have time.

What is your advice for aspiring researchers and those starting out?

I don’t feel old enough to be giving advice! In many ways, we are all always starting out—constantly learning new things. I think it’s important to not stand still—it’s important to just start and to connect with like-minded people. We will gather knowledge along the way even if the research topic is messy and we don’t have all the know-how at the start.