Verónica Blanco Gutiérrez

Email: veronica.blancogutierrez@bristol.ac.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronica-blanco-gutierrez/

Project Title: One size fits all? The role of social determinants of health on AI-driven Cardiotocography Intrapartum Decision Support Tools in Pregnant Women at Term.

Supervisors: Prof Kenton O'Hara (primary), Dr Aisling O'Kane (secondary). External: Dr Lyuba Bozhilova (University of Oxford), Assoc. Prof. Antoniya Georgieva (University of Bristol), Dr Natalie Darko (University of Leicester)

Project summary

My doctoral project focuses on the intersection between Social Determinants of Health, ethnicity, and biases, and their role in the provision of baby monitoring care during labour for pregnant women and their unborn babies. The goal of this research is to explore potential inequalities in care provision and identify solutions with women and clinicians to improve health outcomes and care experiences. The project also aims to support the delivery of equitable and personalised baby monitoring care in labour for all women. To achieve these aims, I am undertaken a mixed methods approach.

A core element of my work is the meaningful engagement and involvement of ethnic minoritised women at every stage of the research and innovation process. Hence, throughout my PhD, I am working with a group of women- expert by experience- to ensure that underrepresented women shape the future of digital health in the context of baby monitoring in labour. I also believe in the power of collaboration, and I am closely working with relevant community organisations and international maternity research teams. I am collaborating with an Australian research team to undertake the first UK survey exploring women's experiences with informed consent for baby monitoring during labour.

With this doctoral research, I intend to focus the attention on informed consent practices and how to use digital technologies to support clinicians to provide and women to receive equitable baby monitoring care in labour.

Bio

My professional/academic journey started in Spain in 2008, where I qualified as a general nurse and, shortly after, became a Mental Health Nurse. A few months later, I moved to England and worked as an adult nurse for the private sector and the NHS. Since becoming a midwife in 2013, I have worked for the NHS in various midwifery roles. My passion for research led me to complete an NIHR-funded MRes in Clinical and Health Research at the University of Southampton in 2017. My dissertation focused on a qualitative research project exploring women’s experiences of perinatal bladder care. Most recently, I have completed an HEE Population Health Fellowship hosted by Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (South East). During this fellowship, I developed a passion for population health, health inequalities and behaviour change. I also had the opportunity to undertake a Health Equity Audit focusing on the Covid-19 vaccine uptake during pregnancy among different ethnic groups.

I am fascinated by the digitalisation of health services to improve care and health outcomes, particularly in women’s health promotion. I am also enthusiastic about co-design, the effects of digitalisation on health inequalities and exclusion among underrepresented, and the ethical aspects of it.

Publications

Gutiérrez, V.B., Bozhilova, L.V., Darko, N. et al. (2025). Intersectional dynamics and care disparities in intrapartum electronic fetal monitoring: a socio-technical systems perspective. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 25, 647. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-025-07765-z
Athavale, R., Gutiérrez, V.B. and Jha, S. (2024), AI in medicine: an introduction to the potential benefits and challenges, and why doctors need to be involved. Obstet Gynecol, 26: 177-182. https://doi.org/10.1111/tog.12950
Blanco Gutiérrez V, Hundley VA, Way S. (2023). The Experience of Women From Underrepresented Groups With Urinary Incontinence: A Systematic Review. Journal of Transcultural Nursing; 34(4):288-300. doi:10.1177/10436596231172205
Blanco Gutierrez, V. (2022). Culture and breastfeeding support. British Journal of Midwifery, 30(12):713-715. DOI: 10.12968/bjom.2022.30.12.713
Blanco Gutierrez, V., Fader, M., Monga, A., Kitson-Reynolds, E. (2019). Lack of care? Women's experiences of maternity bladder management. British Journal of Midwifery 2019 27:1, 15-25. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2019.27.1.15

Wessex Healthier Together website. A piece on urinary incontinence during and after pregnancy. Available at: https://what0-18.nhs.uk/pregnant-women/after-you-have-had-your-baby (uploaded 2/10/2019)
En respuesta al Dr Gerardo Ventura (In response to Dr Gerardo Ventura) (3rd August 2019). Blog entry in the 'El Parto es Nuestro' webpage. Available at: https://www.elpartoesnuestro.es/blog/2019/08/03/en-respuesta-al-dr-gerardo-ventura
Verónica Blanco Gutiérrez, V., Barceló-Monserrat, BC., De la Cruz-Maíllo Parejo, A., Crespi-Sallan, L. (2019).
'Obstetric violence: under the midwives' eyes. The abstract of this poster was published in the European Journal of Health Research, Volume 5 (Supplement); p. 266. ISSN 2444-9067. Legal deposit: AL 1706-2015.
Blog entry in the 'El Parto es Nuestro' webpage. Title: Estamos de luto (We are mourning). 27th April 2019. Available at: https://www.elpartoesnuestro.es/blog/2019/04/27/estamos-de-luto.
Verónica Blanco Gutiérrez (2019). ‘Empowering women through social media: a maternal health promotion tool'.
This poster’s abstract was published in the European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, Volume 9 (Supplement); p. 362. Author: Veronica Blanco Gutiérrez. ISSN 2174-8144 y Legal deposit: AL 828-2011.
Verónica Blanco Gutiérrez (2019). 'Las experiencias de las mujeres en el cuidado vesical perinatal' (Women's experiences in maternity bladder care, in Spanish). This poster’s abstract was published in the European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, Volume 9 (Supplement); p.361. ISSN 2174-8144, legal deposit: AL 828-2011 9 (Supplement); p. 362.:. ISSN 2174-8144 y Legal deposit: AL 828-2011.
Gutiérrez, VB., Fader, M., Monga, A., Kitson-Reynolds, E. (2019). ‘Lack of care? Women's experiences of maternity bladder management’. British Journal of Midwifery, 27:1, 15-25. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2019.27.1.15