Table 5.

Proposed Recommendations for Addressing Gaps in Clinical and Public Health Practice for Optimizing NCD Management in the ASEAN Member States

Recommendations	Recommended Actions	Potential Stakeholders	Performance Indicators
1. Set up local public and private primary care networks	Set up primary care networks with shared target goals, referral services and treatment guidelines	Government and private sector, professional organizations and HCPs	Number of operational primary care networks deployed in the region
2. Improve treatment adherence using evidence-based and innovative solutions	Develop evidence-based digital platforms to facilitate patient self-care, patient communication and patient education Promote SDM through patient decision-making tools and SDM training workshops for HCPs	Professional organizations, HCPs, nurses, pharmacists, technology companies, pharmaceutical sector, individuals and caregiver	Treatment adherence rate for NCDs
3. Actively promote interprofessional collaboration for holistic management of NCDs	Facilitate effective multidisciplinary treatment of NCDs through joint education/training sessions, shared document processing platforms, clinical decision support and defined referral pathways Engage family members/caregivers as peer support workers	Government, private sector, academia, HCPs, nurses, allied health professionals, patient and family	Hospitalization rates due to NCDs Biochemical risk factors (high blood sugar, high BMI, high BP, and high blood lipids) Number of venues available for patients and their family’s co-participation
4. Strengthen the role of pharmacists and other allied health professionals in NCD prevention and care	Build capability of pharmacists and other allied health professionals through accredited trainings to screen, counsel and monitor NCD outcomes Develop specialist referral pathways for pharmacists	Government and private sector, professional organizations, HCPs, nurses, pharmacists, pharmaceutical sector, technology companies, individuals and caregivers	Percent of patients counselled on their medications by pharmacists and other allied health professionals Number of trained pharmacists who can prescribe medicines Number of pharmacies with point-of-care NCD screening capabilities
5. Reform health professions education (HPE) curricula to enhance clinical practice for improved mental health management	Reorient training curricula towards identification and management of common mental health problems for physicians, nurses and pharmacists Train health workers to screen for and identify mental health problems among constituents in schools and colleges	Government and private sector, academia, education board, schools and community	Number of physicians, nurses and pharmacists trained with the revised curricula Number of trained personnel in schools and colleges equipped to screen for mental health problems
6. Enhance monitoring of NCD risk factors using evidence-based technology	Develop a robust national implementation framework for evidence-based technology for health care Promote disease surveillance through use of smartphone-based apps and home-based medical devices for measuring BP, blood sugar and BMI Generate and disseminate evidence on the efficacy and effectiveness of technological solutions in improving clinical outcomes	Government, technology companies, pharmaceutical sector, health insurance companies and data scientists	Rate of premature mortality and hospitalizations due to NCDs among the population using technology-based interventions Percent of people with NCDs using evidence-based technology for health care

Abbreviations: ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations; BMI, body mass index; BP, blood pressure; HCPs, healthcare professionals; HPE, health professions curricula; NCD, noncommunicable disease; SDM, shared decision-making.