Staff Profile

Patience Kunonga is a Research Associate and member of the Evidence Synthesis Group within the Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University. Patience currently works primarily within the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Unit in Older People and Frailty which from January 2024 was renamed the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Healthy Ageing, as well as within the NIHR Innovation Observatory. The Policy Research Unit in Healthy Ageing is a collaboration between Newcastle University, the University of Manchester, and the London School of Economics, it aims to answer policymakers’ questions and help the UK's Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) make informed decisions about the health and wellbeing of people throughout mid to later life. The NIHR Innovation Observatory, hosted by Newcastle University, is the national horizon scanning research centre. Patience holds a Master of Public Health degree from Newcastle University and is currently working towards a PhD to develop a bespoke framework for the incorporation of assessments of health inequalities and/or inequities within evidence synthesis.

MSc in Public Health and Health Services Research

• Introduction to Systematic Reviewing and Critical Appraisal Module - HSC8055
• Dissertation - DTC3002

Patience’s expertise in research spans reviews of effectiveness of interventions, prediction and prognostic reviews, and qualitative research. Her role includes using robust methods to identify all available primary research literature, extract appropriate data and deliver a meticulous summary in response to a research question. Patience’s research interests include social care, public health, health inequality, health inequity and evidence synthesis.

• Articles

  • Kunonga TP, Johnson EE, Din U, Westhead E, Dewhurst F, Hanratty B. Ethnic inequalities in palliative care prescribing in high income countries – a rapid systematic review. BMC Palliative Care 2025, 24, 119.
  • Oparah C, Kunonga TP, Eastaugh C, Norman G. Methods for considering equality and equity implications in horizon scanning for medicines and healthcare innovations: a scoping review. medRxiv 2024. Submitted.
  • Kunonga TP, Oparah C, Eastuagh C, Norman G. Methods for considering equality and equity implications in horizon scanning for medicines and healthcare innovations: a rapid scoping review protocol. Open Science Framework 2024.
  • Stowell M, Spiers GF, Kunonga P, Beyer F, Richmond C, Craig D, Hanratty B. Caring for Older People As a Social Determinant of Health: Findings from a Scoping Review of Observational Studies. Journal of Long-Term Care 2024, 28-41.
  • Kunonga TP, Thomson KH, Beyer FR, Dawson S, Brittain K, Craig D. A Mixed Methods Systematic Review of the Effectiveness, Acceptability, and Feasibility of Advanced Care Plans for Older Adults Without Life-Limiting Conditions. Journal of Long-term Care 2024, 383-402.
  • Dewhurst F, Tomkow L, Poole M, McLellan E, Kunonga TP, Damisa E, Stowell M, Todd C, Hanratty B. Unrepresented, unheard and discriminated against: A qualitative exploration of relatives' and professionals' views of palliative care experiences of people of African and Caribbean descent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Palliative Medicine 2023, 37(9), 1447-1460.
  • Whitehead IO, Moffatt S, Warwick S, Spiers GF, Kunonga TP, Tang E, Hanratty B. Systematic review of the relationship between burn-out and spiritual health in doctors. BMJ Open 2023, 13(8), e068402.
  • Kunonga TP, Kenny RPW, Astin M, Bryant A, Kontogiannis V, Coughlan D, Richmond C, Eastaugh CH, Beyer FR, Pearson F, Craig D, Lovat P, Vale L, Ellis R. Predictive accuracy of risk prediction models for recurrence, metastasis and survival for early-stage cutaneous melanoma: a systematic review. BMJ Open 2023, 13(9), e073306.
  • Kunonga TP, Spiers GF, Richmond C, Beyer FR, Bower P, Hanratty B, Craig D. Health interventions and the unseen impact on equality. The Lancet Healthy Longevity 2023, 4(1), E8-E9.
  • Kunonga TP, Hanratty B, Bower P, Craig D. A systematic review finds a lack of consensus in methodological approaches in health inequality/inequity focused reviews. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 2023, 156, 76-84.
  • Hiu S, Bryant A, Gajjar K, Kunonga PT, Naik R. Ultra-radical (extensive) surgery versus standard surgery for the primary cytoreduction of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2022, (8), CD007697.
  • Kontogiannis V, Coughlan D, Javanbakht M, Kunonga P, Beyer F, Richmond C, Bryant A, Bajwa D, Ellis RA, Vale L. Optimal Surveillance Strategies for Early-Stage Cutaneous Melanoma Post Primary Tumour Excision: An Economic Evaluation. MDM Policy & Practice 2022, 7(1), 1-11.
  • Hiu SKW, Bigirumurame T, Kunonga P, Bryant A, Pillai M. Neuropsychiatric Inventory domains cluster into neuropsychiatric syndromes in Alzheimer;s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain and Behavior 2022, 19(9), e2734.
  • Bryant A, Hiu S, Kunonga P, Gajjar K, Craig D, Vale L, Winter-Roach BA, Elattar A, Naik R. Impact of residual disease as a prognostic factor for survival in women with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer after primary surgery. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2022, (9), CD015048.
  • Spiers GF, Kunonga TP, Stow D, Hall A, Kingston A, Williams O, Beyer F, Bower P, Craig D, Todd C, Hanratty B. Factors associated with unmet need for support to maintain independence in later life: a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence. Age and Ageing 2022, 51(10), 1-11.
  • Spiers GF, Liddle J, Kunonga TP, Whitehead IO, Beyer F, Stow D, Welsh C, Ramsay SE, Craig D, Hanratty B. What are the consequences of caring for older people and what interventions are effective for supporting unpaid carers? A rapid review of systematic reviews. BMJ Open 2021, 11(9), e046187.
  • Spiers GF, Kunonga TP, Beyer F, Craig D, Hanratty B, Jagger C. Trends in health expectancies: A systematic review of international evidence. BMJ Open 2021, 11(5), e045567.
  • Chawla K, Kunonga TP, Stow D, Barker R, Craig D, Hanratty B. Prevalence of loneliness amongst older people in high-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE 2021, 16(7), e0255088.
  • Vale L, Kunonga P, Coughlan D, Kontogiannis V, Astin M, Beyer F, Richmond C, Wilson D, Bajwa D, Javanbakht M, Bryant A, Akor W, Craig D, Lovat P, Labus M, Nasr Batoul, Cunliffe T, Hinde H, Shawgi M, Saleh D, Royle P, Steward P, Lucas R, Ellis R. Optimal surveillance strategies for Patients with stage 1 cutaneous melanoma post primary tumour excision: three systematic reviews and an economic model. Health Technology Assessment 2021, 25(64).
  • Spiers GF, Kunonga TP, Hall A, Beyer F, Boulton E, Parker S, Bower P, Craig D, Todd C, Hanratty B. Measuring frailty in younger populations: a rapid review of evidence. BMJ Open 2021, 11, e047051.
  • Hall A, Boulton E, Kunonga P, Spiers G, Beyer F, Bower P, Craig D, Todd C, Hanratty B. Identifying older adults with frailty approaching end-of-life: A systematic review. Palliative Medicine 2021, 35(10), 1832-1843.
  • Kunonga TP, Spiers GF, Beyer FR, Hanratty B, Boulton E, Hall A, Bower P, Todd C, Craig D. Effects of Digital Technologies on Older People's Access to Health and Social Care: Umbrella Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2021, 23(11), e25887.
  • Dawson S, Kunonga P, Beyer F, Spiers G, Booker M, McDonald R, Cameron A, Craig D, Hanratty B, Salisbury C, Huntley A. Does health and social care provision for the community dwelling older population help to reduce unplanned secondary care, support timely discharge and improve patient well-being? A mixed-method meta review of systematic reviews. F1000Research 2020, 9, 857.
  • Barker RO, Craig D, Spiers G, Kunonga P, Hanratty B. Who Should Deliver Primary Care in Long-term Care Facilities to Optimize Resident Outcomes? A Systematic Review. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association 2018, 19(12), 1069-1079.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Kunonga TP, Spiers GF, Richmond C, Beyer FR, Bower P, Hanratty B, Craig D. Health Interventions and the Unseen Impact on Equality in Disability Free Life Expectancy: A Rapid Evidence Synthesis. In: Society for Social Medicine & Population Health Annual Scientific Meeting 2023. 2023, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: BMJ Publishing Group.
  • Kunonga TP, Bower P, Hanratty B, Craig D. Developing a Health Inequality/Inequity Conceptual Framework to Support Evidence Synthesis. In: Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting (GSA 2023). 2023, Tampa, Florida: Oxford University Press.
  • Kunonga P, Hanratty B, Bower P, Craig D. OP21 A Critical Review of Existing Health Inequality And Health Inequity Frameworks In Evidence Synthesis. In: HTAi 2022 Meeting. 2022, Utrecht, Netherlands: International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care.
  • Kunonga P, Astin M, Beyer F, Richmond C, Akor W, Bryant A, Coughlan D, Kontogiannis V, Craig D, Nasr B, Ellis R, Labus M, Lovat P, Vale L. Prognostic risk models following AJCC Stage 1 Melanoma: a systematic review. In: The 16TH International Congress of The Society for Melanoma Research. 2019, Salt Lake City, Utah.
  • Kunonga P, Beyer F, Dawson S, Huntley A, Adamson J, Robinson L, Craig D. A mixed methods systematic review to explore the impact of advanced care planning for older people on reducing unplanned hospital admissions and improving quality of life. In: School for Primary Care Research Showcase 2018. 2018, London: National Institute for Health Research (NHS).