Support for Digital Health Professionals
In challenging times, the Digital Health Networks mentoring programme offers a supportive and motivating environment, as noted by Lia Ali, a consultant psychiatrist and clinical adviser at NHS England, along with her mentee, Jemima Kola-Abodunde, a HealthTech advisor.
Career Path Challenges
- There is currently no clear career trajectory for clinicians in digital health.
- Access to mentorship in these roles is inconsistent.
- Many professionals hold titles that do not accurately reflect their responsibilities.
Impact of Job Titles
For those in digital leadership positions lacking formal titles like Chief Clinical Information Officer, it can hinder their ability to pursue job opportunities or join advisory panels. This can lead to feelings of isolation and uncertainty about their professional identity.
Need for Mentorship
With fewer support structures for digital careers than in previous years, individuals often struggle to navigate their career paths. This not only affects personal growth but also the broader digital health agenda. Mentorship plays a crucial role in helping professionals understand their current position and future direction.
Opportunities and Risks
There is significant potential to innovate and enhance health services. However, without the right mix of skills, there is a risk of exacerbating health inequalities. Mentoring, especially for clinicians in digital roles, ensures a diverse group of professionals is involved in driving improvements.
Benefits of Group Mentoring
The Digital Health Networks group mentoring programme connects participants with mentors from various disciplines, including:
- Chief Information Officers
- Chief Nursing Information Officers
- Project and technical experts
This diverse expertise is essential for effective digital leadership.
Safe Space for Discussion
Mentorship provides a secure environment to discuss challenges and refine one’s professional identity. It helps individuals articulate their skills in a way that resonates with potential employers, which is particularly important in the evolving digital landscape.
Inspiring Environment
In a time when the NHS narrative can be discouraging, mentorship offers a refreshing perspective, encouraging innovative thinking and validating the relevance of new ideas.
Collaborative Decision-Making
Mentoring fosters a collaborative approach to decision-making in clinical and digital initiatives, which is vital when exploring best practices in new areas.
Empowering the Workforce
To accelerate advancements in digital health, empowering the workforce through mentorship is essential, especially during critical periods for the NHS.
Mentee Insights
Jemima Kola-Abodunde shares her experience of joining the mentoring programme during a challenging work phase. She appreciated the flexible, multidisciplinary nature of the sessions, which catered to participants’ needs.
Being mentored helped her recognize her value and boosted her confidence, leading to opportunities such as speaking on a panel at Summer Schools.
Community Support
Mentorship communities are increasingly forming to support innovative approaches in healthcare, addressing issues like health inequalities. Kola-Abodunde emphasizes the importance of having a supportive network, especially as a woman of color navigating both NHS and industry challenges.
Mentor Reflections
Lia Ali reflects on the informal mentoring support she has received, which has been pivotal in her career. She values the access to a broader network that the mentoring programme provides, allowing her to connect mentees with experts in their areas of interest.
Ali is particularly focused on mentoring women of color, drawing from her own experiences of facing challenges in her career. She highlights the collaborative nature of mentorship, where both mentor and mentee learn and grow together.
Conclusion
Mentorship not only aids in career development but also fosters a sense of community and collaboration, essential for the growth of digital health leaders.