Hello Colleagues,
I am delighted to have this opportunity to write to you to e-introduce myself.
My motivation to join HIFA stems from recent experiences of how difficult it was for people from non-English speaking backgrounds to access information on COVID-19 despite living in a well resourced country. I also encountered a personal event when the health information was provided but not explained with many assumptions made on one's ability to know what to do just because printed instructions were provided. This prompted me to ask - how well do we deliver health information to people who need it so that they can effectively use that information to look after their own health, regardless of their circumstances in life. Are we taking patient education for granted and not optimally delivering a real impact on health promotion?
My work is focused on maternal and child health with an increasing focus on climate change. I use the principles of health informatics and digital health to build solutions that can help people take charge of their own health and effectively use information to build resilience as part of adaptation to climate change.
I look forward to hearing from other colleagues @HIFA and learning more about your own work.
If I can help with anything - it would be great to connect.
Kind regards,
Zerina
A/Prof Zerina Tomkins
PhD (TissEng), MNSc, BAppSci (Hons) BAppSc (MLS), GradCert (HigherEd), RN, MACN
Affiliate Senior Research Fellow, Department of General Medicine, Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne
Group leader: Digital Health & Sustainable Healthcare
Managing Editor: Contemporary Nurse
Monash University
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Room 3.07, Level 3, Building 13D
35 Rainforest Walk, Clayton Campus
Clayton, VIC 3800 Australia
T:+61 3 9905 0819
E:zerina.tomkins@monash.edu
monash.edu/nursing
Twitter: @TomkinsZerina
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0266-9536
I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I live and work, the peoples of the Kulin Nation. I recognize their continuing connection to knowledge, land, water and community and I pay my respect to Elders past and present.
HIFA profile: Zerina Tomkins is a Researcher at Monash University, Australia. Professional interests: Maternal and child health; Digital health; Climate change mitigation and adaptation. Email: zerina.tomkins AT monash.edu
