Ginny Brunton
RN (ON), RM RGN (UK), BScN, BA (Hons) Midwifery, MSc HRM, PhD

Research and Expertise

• Background and Interests

  My research interests arise from my clinical training and experience as a nurse and midwife in community health and birth settings. In Canada and the UK, I have worked extensively as a research methodologist specializing in systematic reviews used for health policy knowledge exchange. With others, I have developed innovative methods of research synthesis that bring together different types of research on effectiveness, implementation and people’s perspectives. These research synthesis methods have included the use/development of meta-analysis and meta-regression, framework synthesis and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA).

  My research focuses on the fit between health policy, health promotion and public health issues, and stakeholder and community involvement in health intervention development, implementation and evaluation. I have recently conducted systematic reviews of community engagement in health promotion, to inform national UK guidance. I have also studied issues in parent-child health, including reviews of teenage pregnancy and parenthood, women’s experiences of becoming a mother, the impact of fathers’ involvement on family mental health outcomes, and core outcome set development for neonatal ICU care that used an innovative mixed methods approach. These have all been commissioned by national health policymakers to inform their understanding and decisions.

   

• Publications

  Journal articles

  • Brunton G, Webbe J, Ali S, Oliver S, Gale C. Adding value to core outcome set development using multi-method systematic reviews. Research Synthesis Methods. Early online view 13 December 2019. 
  • Brunton G, Oliver S, Thomas J. Innovations in framework synthesis in systematic reviews of qualitative and mixed methods. Research Synthesis Methods. Early online view 2 March 2020.
  • Kwan I, Dickson K, Richardson M, MacDowall W, Burchett H, Stansfield C, Brunton G, Sutcliffe K, Thomas J. Cyberbullying and Children and Young People’s Mental Health: A systematic map of systematic reviews. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking Early Online View 28 January 2020.
  • Cancelliere C, Wong JJ, Yu H, Nordin M, Mior S, Pereira P, Brunton G, Shearer H, Connell G, Verville L, Taylor-Vaisey A, Côté P. Post-surgical rehabilitation for adults with low back pain with or without radiculopathy who were treated surgically: Protocol for a mixed studies systematic review. BMJ Open (in press).
  • Webbe JWH, Duffy JM, Afonso E, Al-Muzaffar I, Brunton G, Greenough A, Hall NJ, Knight M, Latour JM, Lee-Davey C. and Marlow N. (2019) Core outcomes in neonatology: development of a core outcome set for neonatal research. Archives of Disease in Childhood-Fetal and Neonatal Edition Published Online First: 18 November 2019.
  • Hutton EK, Reitsma A, Simioni J, Brunton G, Kaufman K. (2019) Perinatal or neonatal mortality among women who intend at the onset of labour to give birth at home compared to women of low obstetrical risk who intend to give birth in hospital: A systematic review and meta-analyses. EClinicalMedicine. Available online 25 July 2019.
  • Brunton G, Oliver S, Thomas J. Innovations in framework synthesis in systematic reviews of qualitative and mixed methods. Research Synthesis Methods (Accepted). 
  • Brunton G, Webbe J, Ali S, Oliver S, Gale C. Adding value to core outcome set development using multi-method systematic reviews. Research Synthesis Methods (Accepted).
  • Webbe J, Brunton G, Ali S, Longford NT, Modi N, Gale C. (2018). Parent, patient and clinician perceptions of outcomes during and following neonatal care: a systematic review of qualitative research. BMJ Paediatrics Open. 
  • Brunton G, Thomas J, O’Mara-Eves A, Jamal F, Oliver S, Kavanagh J. Narratives of community engagement: a systematic review-derived conceptual framework for public health interventions. BMC Public Health. 2017 Dec;17(1):944.
  • Pollock A, Campbell P, Brunton G, Hunt H, Estecourt L. (2017) Selecting and implementing overview methods: implications from five exemplar overviews. Systematic Reviews, 6:145. 
  • O’Mara-Eves A, Brunton G, Oliver S, Kavanagh J, Jamal F, Thomas J (2015) The effectiveness of community engagement in public health interventions for disadvantaged groups: a meta-analysis. BMC Public Health, 15(129). DOI: 10.1186/s12889-015-1352-y.
  • Brunton G, O’Mara-Eves A, Thomas J (2014) The ‘active ingredients’ for successful community engagement with disadvantaged expectant and new mothers: a qualitative comparative analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 70(12): 2847 – 2860.
  • Thomas J, O’Mara-Eves A, Brunton G (2014) Using qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) in systematic reviews of complex interventions: a worked example. Systematic Reviews, 3(1): 67 – 84.
  • Hutton EK, Reitsma A, Thorpe J, Brunton G, Kaufman K. (2014) Protocol: systematic review and meta-analyses of birth outcomes for women who intend at the onset of labour to give birth at home compared to women of low obstetrical risk who intend to give birth in hospital. Systematic Reviews, 3: 55.
  • Stansfield C, Brunton G, Rees R. (2014) Search wide, dig deep: literature searching for qualitative research. An analysis of the publication formats and information sources used for four systematic reviews in public health (early online version). Research Synthesis Methods 5(2): 142 – 151.
  • O’Mara-Eves A, Brunton G, McDaid D, Oliver S, Kavanagh J, Jamal F, Matosevic T, Harden A, Thomas J. (2013). Community engagement to reduce inequalities in health: a systematic review, meta-analysis and economic analysis. Public Health Research 1(4). DOI: 10.3310/phr01040.
  • Twamley K, Brunton G, Sutcliffe K, Hinds K, Thomas J. (2013) The impact of fathers’ involvement on families’ mental health: a systematic rapid evidence assessment. Community, Work and Family 16(2): 212 – 224.  
  • Harden A, Brunton G, Fletcher A, Oakley A (2009) Teenage pregnancy and social disadvantage: systematic review integrating controlled trials and qualitative studies. British Medical Journal, 2009; 339:b4254 

  
  

  Peer reviewed end of project reports

  • Burchett H, Stansfield C, Brunton G, Macdowall W, Thomas J (2019) Digital interventions for the prevention and treatment of drug and alcohol misuse: protocol for a systematic review. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London.
  • Brunton G, Kneale D, Sowden A, Sutcliffe K, Thomas J (2019) Caffeinated energy drinks and effects in UK young people: A secondary analysis of population-level datasets. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education.
  • Dickson K, Richardson M, Kwan I , MacDowall W, Burchett H , Stansfield C, Brunton G, Sutcliffe K, Thomas J (2019) Screen-based activities and children and young people’s mental health: a systematic map of reviews. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, University College London.
  • Brunton G, Khouja C, Raine G, Stansfield C, Kwan I, Sowden A, Sutcliffe K, Thomas J (2019) Caffeinated energy drink use and effects in young people: a rapid overview of systematic reviews. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, University College London.
  • Brunton G, Richardson M, Stokes G, Blanchard L, Burchett H, Khatwa M, Khouja C, Walker R, Wright K, Sowden A, Thomas J (2018) The effective, safe and appropriate use of anticoagulation medicines: A systematic overview of reviews. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, University College London.
  • Brunton G, Sutcliffe K, Hinds K, Khatwa M, Burchett H, Dickson K, Rojas-Garcia A, Thomas J (2017). Stakeholder experiences of the diagnosis of Lyme disease: a systematic review. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University College London.
  • Dickson K, Kate Hinds, Brunton G, Stansfield C, Thomas J (2017) No-fault compensation schemes for birth injury: A rapid realist review. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University College London.
  • Brunton G, Michaels-Igbokwe C, Santos A, Caird J, Siapka M, Teixeira-Filha N, Burchett H, Stokes G, Thomas J (2016) Sexual health promotion and contraceptive services in local authorities: a systematic review of economic evaluations 2010-2015. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, University College London.
  • Brunton G, Dickson K, Khatwa M, Caird J, Oliver S, Hinds K, Thomas (2016) Developing evidence-informed, employer-led workplace health. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University College London.
  • Brunton G, Dickson K, O’Mara-Eves A, Kate Hinds, Helen Burchett, Stansfield C, Thomas J (2016) No-fault compensation schemes for birth injury: A rapid realist review. (Protocol). London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University College London.
  • Caird J, Brunton G, Stokes G, Hinds K, Dickson K, Richardson M, Khatwa M, Thomas J (2015) Sex-selective abortion: a systematic map of the volume and nature of research. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, University College London. 
  • Brunton G, Caird J, Sutcliffe K, Rees R, Stokes G, Oliver S, Stansfield C, Llewellyn A, Simmonds M, Thomas J (2015) Depression, anxiety, pain and quality of life in people living with chronic hepatitis C: a systematic review and meta-analysis. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, University College London.
  • Brunton G, Caird J, Stokes G, Stansfield C, Kneale D, Richardson M, Thomas J (2015) Review 1: Community engagement for health via coalitions, collaborations and partnerships: a systematic review. London: EPPI Centre, Social Science Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, University College London. ISBN: 978-1-907345-74-6. 
  • Brunton G, Caird J, Kneale D, Thomas J, Richardson M (2015) Review 2: Community engagement for health via coalitions, collaborations and partnerships: a systematic review and meta-analysis. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, University College London. ISBN: 978-1-907345-78-4. 
  • Stokes G, Richardson M, Brunton G, Khatwa M, Thomas J (2015) Review 3: Community engagement for health via coalitions, collaborations and partnerships (on-line social media and social networks): a systematic review and meta-analysis. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, University College London. ISBN: 978-1-907345-79-1. 
  • Brunton G, Wiggins M, Oakley A (2011) Becoming a mother: a research synthesis of women's experiences of first-time motherhood. London UK: EPPI Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London, p. 1 – 55.

  Book chapters

  • Brunton G, Stansfield C, Caird J, Thomas J. (2017). Finding relevant studies. In Gough D, Oliver S and Thomas J. An introduction to systematic reviews, 2^nd edition. London: Sage Publications, Chapter 5.
  • Brunton G, Stansfield C, Thomas J. (2012). Finding relevant studies. In Gough D, Oliver S and Thomas J. An introduction to systematic reviews. London: Sage Publications, Chapter 6.
  • Brunton G, Rees R, Bonell C (2006) Reviewing the evidence base for health promotion planning. In MacDowall W, Bonell C, Davies M (eds) Health promotion strategy and delivery. Buckingham: Open University Press, p.37-58. Shortlisted for Baxter Award.
• Research Collaborators
  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), UK
  • Royal College of Midwives
  • Public Health England
  • Leicester Local Authority (England)
  • Norfolk Local Authority (England)
  • National UK Advocacy groups, including Terence Higgins Trust, Brook Sexual Health and Wellness UK, Hepatitis C Trust, Haemophilia Society, Contaminated Blood, Tainted Blood, Lyme Disease Action, Caudwell Lyme, Lyme Disease UK, and others.
  • Centre for Disability Prevention Research, Chiropractic Medicine College of Canada
  • McMaster Midwifery Research Centre, McMaster University
• Grants

  2020 CIHR (primary investigator)

  • $14,976 Planning for home birth knowledge mobilization: a scoping review and stakeholder consultation.

   2017 Department of Health (England) (internal co-applicant)

  • £1.7 million Reviews facility to support national policy development and implementation

  2015 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)

  • £30,821 Community engagement strategies to promote public health (extension)

  2014 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)

  • £54,960 Community engagement strategies to promote public health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

  2014 Department of Health (England)

  • £1.6 million Reviews facility to support national policy development and implementation

  2009 Economic and Social Research Council, UK (ESRC)

  • £92,967 Becoming a mother: a synthesis of research on women’s experience of first-time motherhood

   
  2005 Department of Health (England)

  • £161,106 Young people, pregnancy and social exclusion
• Courses taught

  Undergraduate Level:

  • Adult Health Challenges
  • Healthy Communities Nursing
• Graduate Student Research
  • Dr. Claire Stansfield – 2018 PhD dissertation “Exploring search strategy design to identify diverse literature for inclusion in systematic reviews”
  • Dr. Mary Sawtell – 2019 PhD dissertation “An exploration of practitioner-researcher collaboration on randomised controlled trials of complex interventions”
• Education

  BSc Nursing (First Class) McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario

  MSc Health Research Methodology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario

  BA (Hons) Midwifery, University of East Anglia, Cambridge, England

  PhD Evidence-Informed Health Policy, University College London, England

• Professional Award(s)

  Association of Ontario Midwives 2020 Excellence in Midwifery Research Award

  Hutton EK, Reitsma A, Simioni J, Brunton G, Kaufman K. (2019) Perinatal or neonatal mortality among women who intend at the onset of labour to give birth at home compared to women of low obstetrical risk who intend to give birth in hospital: A systematic review and meta-analyses. EClinicalMedicine, 14: 59-70.