60-Second CiLN member profile – Nathan Kershaw

NEWS - Nathan Kershaw, clinical informatician and eHealth Forum lead

Could you explain what your role entails?
I’m a part-time freelance clinical informatician. In reality this means that I juggle clinical work at several organisations with a peppering of clinical informatics projects as the opportunities arise. I shoehorn in administering the eHealth Forum around this when time and energy allow (this is in a voluntary capacity). Being a board member of HiNZ is an absolute privilege and connects me to the heart of the sector. But my three precious children have me first.

What parts of digital health interest you the most?
Perioperative informatics (e.g. anaesthesia information management systems) was my absolute passion as I first embraced digital health, but much to my surprise this has morphed into a deep and committed crusade to bring effective online community to our digital health sector.

What projects are you currently involved in?
Continuing to consolidate and develop the eHealth Forum is my major ongoing work. This is very much a labour of love, and I give it what I can. I am also paid to administer the UK’s Digital Health Networks. In addition to this, I am currently dabbling in the communication of preoperative information in the private sector here in Dunedin.

If you could have any other job, what would it be?
I’m not sure that I want to trade in what I have for another job! I confess that I do sometimes crave a more stable and ‘conventional’ existence. However, it seems very difficult to land a role that would be sufficiently part-time, digital health centred, and varied clinically enough to ‘keep my hand in’. The last point is vital, as this is key to my relevance as a clinical informatician.

If you have one piece of advice for other digital health leaders, what would it be?
Innovations and improvements are born out of conversations that cut across silos and traditional structures. However, effective engagement with these same structures and the key people in them is super challenging but absolutely required if they are to ever truly bear fruit.

What’s your favourite piece of technology at home and why?
My folding phone, but it is a love-hate relationship. Having a tablet in my pocket at all times is simply awesome. Having the compromises that comes with it is deeply annoying!!

Who would you like to play you in a film?
Nathan Kershaw - there is a B grade US actor who shares my name. I’ve always found that a little funny, especially when I started receiving invites to parties in Hollywood and auditions a few years back.

If you would like to provide feedback on this profile, please contact the editor Rebecca McBeth.

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