Michelle Heys
Biographic Data
| ID | 6059788 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Michelle Heys |
| GIVEN NAMES | Michelle |
| FAMILY NAME | Heys |
| SIGNATURE | HEYS M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Great Ormond Street Hospital |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1458-505X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 23 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 23 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 23 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Feasibility of an Adapted Participatory Group Programme for Caregivers of Children With Complex Neurodisability in the United Kingdom
Impact and cost-effectiveness of Neotree, a digital data capture and decision support tool designed to improve neonatal survival in Zimbabwe
INTRODUCTION: Many neonatal deaths are avoidable using existing low-cost evidence-based interventions. This study evaluated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Neotree, a digital quality improvement tool combining data capture with education and clinical decision support, implemented in a Zimbabwean hospital. METHODS: Neotree was implemented in Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital (CPH) in December 2020. Using data collected for all neonates admi…
Economic evaluation
Background: The Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition (NEON) programme was designed to promote equitable early childhood development by educating mothers of South Asian origin in two boroughs (Newham and Tower Hamlets) in East London on optimal feeding, care, and dental hygiene practices. The study found that the adapted Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) approach was highly acceptable and well-received by participants, with improvements in ma…
Clinical prediction models to diagnose neonatal sepsis in low-income and middle-income countries
INTRODUCTION: Neonatal sepsis causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide but is difficult to diagnose clinically. Clinical prediction models (CPMs) could improve diagnostic accuracy, facilitating earlier treatment for cases and avoiding antibiotic overuse. Neonates in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) are disproportionately affected by sepsis, yet no review has comprehensively synthesised evidence for CPMs validated in this…
Adapting a digital quality improvement system (Neotree) for newborn care in primary health centres and community hospitals
BACKGROUND: Digital innovations incorporating clinical digital support can improve the delivery of perinatal and postnatal care, yet few interventions exist in primary care settings. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to adapt a digital quality improvement system (Neotree) from tertiary facilities to lower-level facilities providing Level 1 newborn care. METHODS: We conducted a mixed method stepwise study using the ADAPT framework. We conducted a needs and tec…
Adapting a Participatory Group Programme for Caregivers of Children with Complex Neurodisability from Low-, Middle-Income Countries to a High-Income Setting
The "Baby Ubuntu" programme is a well-established, low-cost, community-based intervention to support caregivers of children with complex neurodisability, like cerebral palsy, in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) contexts. This process-focused paper describes our utilisation of the ADAPT guidance to adapt "Baby Ubuntu" for use in ethnically and linguistically diverse, and economically deprived urban boroughs in the United Kingdom (UK). The pro…
“Getting pregnant during Covid-19 was a big risk because getting help from the clinic was not easy”
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated measures may have disrupted delivery of maternal and neonatal health services and reversed the progress made towards dual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis in Zimbabwe. This qualitative study explores the impact of the pandemic on the provision and uptake of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services from the perspectives of women and maternal healthcare providers…
Gaining consensus on emotional wellbeing themes and preferences for digital intervention type and content to support the mental health of young people with long‐term health conditions
BACKGROUND: Young people (YP) with long-term conditions (LTCs) are at greater risk of psychological distress than those without LTCs. Despite this, there is a scarcity of quality digital interventions designed to help improve mental wellbeing in this population. The aim of this study was to determine what YP, parents and health professionals preferred for future interventions. METHODS: Twenty-six YP with asthma, diabetes and/or epilepsy (the thre…
Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the provision and uptake of services for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is targeting elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV by December 2025, however the COVID-19 pandemic challenged health service delivery globally. Monthly aggregated data were extracted from DHIS-2 for all facilities delivering antenatal care (ANC). ZIMSTAT and Spectrum demographic estimates were used for population-level denominators. Programme indicators are among those in HIV care and population indicators reflect the total …
How Does Living in Temporary Accommodation and the Covid-19 Pandemic Impact under 5s’ Healthcare Access and Health Outcomes? A Qualitative Study of Key Professionals in a Socially and Ethnically Diver…
Background: Children < 5 years living in temporary accommodation (U5TA) are vulnerable to poor health outcomes. Few qualitative studies have examined service provider perspectives in family homelessness; none have focused on U5TA with a cross-sector approach. This study explored professionals’ perspectives of the barriers and facilitators, including pandemic-related challenges, experienced by U5TA in accessing healthcare and optimising health out…
Usability-Focused Development and Usage of NeoTree-Beta, an App for Newborn Care in a Low-Resource Neonatal Unit, Malawi
Background: Neonatal mortality is high in low-resource settings. NeoTree is a digital intervention for neonatal healthcare professionals (HCPs) aiming to achieve data-driven quality improvement and improved neonatal survival in low-resource hospitals. Optimising usability with end-users could help digital health interventions succeed beyond pilot stages in low-resource settings. Usability is the quality of a user's experience when interacting wit…
Risk factors of mortality in neonates with neonatal encephalopathy in a tertiary newborn care unit in Zimbabwe over a 12-month period
Neonatal encephalopathy (NE) accounts for ~23% of the 2.4 million annual global neonatal deaths. Approximately 99% of global neonatal deaths occur in low-resource settings, however, accurate data from these low-resource settings are scarce. We reviewed risk factors of neonatal mortality in neonates admitted with neonatal encephalopathy from a tertiary neonatal unit in Zimbabwe. A retrospective review of risk factors of short-term neonatal encepha…
Developing a community facilitator‐led participatory learning and action women's group intervention to improve infant feeding, care and dental hygiene practices in South Asian infants
INTRODUCTION: The Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition (NEON) study is a multiphase project that aims to optimize feeding, care and dental hygiene practices in South Asian children <2 years in East London, United Kingdom. The multiphase project uses a participatory learning and action (PLA) approach facilitated by a multilingual community facilitator. In this paper, we elaborate on the process and results of the Intervention Development Phase in t…
A Citizen Science Approach to Identifying Indoor Environmental Barriers to Optimal Health for under 5s Experiencing Homelessness in Temporary Accommodation
The first five years of life are critical for optimal growth, health, and cognitive development. Adverse childhood experiences, including experiencing homelessness, can be a risk factor for multiple health issues and developmental challenges. There is a dearth of data collected with and by families with children under age five living in temporary accommodation due to experiencing homelessness (U5TA) describing indoor environmental barriers that p…
The Impact of the Pandemic on Mental Health in Ethnically Diverse Mothers
Restrictions implemented by the UK Government during the COVID-19 pandemic have served to worsen mental health outcomes, particularly amongst younger adults, women, those living with chronic health conditions, and parents of young children. Studies looking at the impact for ethnic minorities have reported inconsistent findings. This paper describes the mental health experiences of mothers from a large and highly ethnically diverse population duri…
Online community engagement in response to Covid‐19 pandemic
Community participatory research is a method of active engagement between community members to develop interventions that catalyse social change and improve health outcomes.1 Increasingly, particularly in low-middle-income countries (LMICs), participatory research is used to co-develop low-cost community interventions. UK health policy and providers are also placing increasing emphasis on strengthening community services to equitably optimize hea…
Exploring perceptions of consanguineous unions with women from an East London community
Consanguineous unions are relationships between blood relatives. This study explores the perceptions of consanguineous unions and risk of childhood disability and illness through the reported views and experiences of women in an ethnically diverse London community. This qualitative study utilised group discussions to elicit women's views and experiences. Field notes were recorded by independent note-takers in four group discussions. Field notes w…
Implementing and Evaluating the CYPHP Evelina London new care model to improve health, healthcare quality, and patterns of service use among children and young people
The International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles in the field of integrated care on a continuous basis.IJIC has an Impact Factor of 2.913 (2021 JCR, received in June 2022)The IJIC 20th Anniversary Issue was published in 2021
New integrated care models to improve health, healthcare quality, and patterns of service use among children and young people
The International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles in the field of integrated care on a continuous basis.IJIC has an Impact Factor of 5.120 (2020 JCR, received in June 2021)
Does childhood meat eating contribute to sex differences in risk factors for ischaemic heart disease in a developing population
BACKGROUND: A male epidemic of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) emerges with economic development. It has previously been hypothesised that this epidemic is due to nutritionally driven levels of pubertal sex steroids, which lead to a more atherogenic body shape and lipid profile in boys but not girls, without any sex-specific effects on glucose metabolism. This study tests this hypothesis by examining the association of childhood meat eating with IH…
Are height and leg length universal markers of childhood conditions? The Guangzhou Biobank cohort study
OBJECTIVE: In developed western populations longer legs have been shown to be a marker of better early childhood conditions. In the first generations to experience the epidemiologic transition and associated economic development, epigenetic constraints on growth might preclude improved childhood conditions from increasing leg growth or height. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the association of …
Is leg length a biomarker of childhood conditions in older Chinese women? The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study
OBJECTIVE: In developed western populations longer legs have been shown to be a biomarker of better early childhood conditions. It was hypothesised that in transitioning populations better childhood conditions may bring forward puberty and thus decrease leg length, counteracting the overall positive effect of a favourable childhood environment on leg growth. DESIGN: Structural equation modelling was used to assess the interrelationship of age, ed…
Height, Its Components, and Cardiovascular Risk Among Older Chinese
Objectives. Better childhood conditions, inferred from height and specifically leg length, are usually protective against ischemic heart disease and its risk factors in Western countries. In other geoethnic populations, height is less clearly protective, casting doubt on there being a biological etiology. To clarify the role of childhood conditions, we examined the associations of height and its components with cardiovascular risk among older Chi…
Are height and leg length universal markers of childhood conditions? The Guangzhou Biobank cohort study
OBJECTIVE: In developed western populations longer legs have been shown to be a marker of better early childhood conditions. In the first generations to experience the epidemiologic transition and associated economic development, epigenetic constraints on growth might preclude improved childhood conditions from increasing leg growth or height. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the association of …
Is leg length a biomarker of childhood conditions in older Chinese women? The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study
OBJECTIVE: In developed western populations longer legs have been shown to be a biomarker of better early childhood conditions. It was hypothesised that in transitioning populations better childhood conditions may bring forward puberty and thus decrease leg length, counteracting the overall positive effect of a favourable childhood environment on leg growth. DESIGN: Structural equation modelling was used to assess the interrelationship of age, ed…
Height, Its Components, and Cardiovascular Risk Among Older Chinese
Objectives. Better childhood conditions, inferred from height and specifically leg length, are usually protective against ischemic heart disease and its risk factors in Western countries. In other geoethnic populations, height is less clearly protective, casting doubt on there being a biological etiology. To clarify the role of childhood conditions, we examined the associations of height and its components with cardiovascular risk among older Chi…
Height, Its Components, and Cardiovascular Risk Among Older Chinese
Objectives. Better childhood conditions, inferred from height and specifically leg length, are usually protective against ischemic heart disease and its risk factors in Western countries. In other geoethnic populations, height is less clearly protective, casting doubt on there being a biological etiology. To clarify the role of childhood conditions, we examined the associations of height and its components with cardiovascular risk among older Chi…
Are height and leg length universal markers of childhood conditions? The Guangzhou Biobank cohort study
OBJECTIVE: In developed western populations longer legs have been shown to be a marker of better early childhood conditions. In the first generations to experience the epidemiologic transition and associated economic development, epigenetic constraints on growth might preclude improved childhood conditions from increasing leg growth or height. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the association of …
Is leg length a biomarker of childhood conditions in older Chinese women? The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study
OBJECTIVE: In developed western populations longer legs have been shown to be a biomarker of better early childhood conditions. It was hypothesised that in transitioning populations better childhood conditions may bring forward puberty and thus decrease leg length, counteracting the overall positive effect of a favourable childhood environment on leg growth. DESIGN: Structural equation modelling was used to assess the interrelationship of age, ed…
Does childhood meat eating contribute to sex differences in risk factors for ischaemic heart disease in a developing population
BACKGROUND: A male epidemic of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) emerges with economic development. It has previously been hypothesised that this epidemic is due to nutritionally driven levels of pubertal sex steroids, which lead to a more atherogenic body shape and lipid profile in boys but not girls, without any sex-specific effects on glucose metabolism. This study tests this hypothesis by examining the association of childhood meat eating with IH…
Exploring perceptions of consanguineous unions with women from an East London community
Consanguineous unions are relationships between blood relatives. This study explores the perceptions of consanguineous unions and risk of childhood disability and illness through the reported views and experiences of women in an ethnically diverse London community. This qualitative study utilised group discussions to elicit women's views and experiences. Field notes were recorded by independent note-takers in four group discussions. Field notes w…
Implementing and Evaluating the CYPHP Evelina London new care model to improve health, healthcare quality, and patterns of service use among children and young people
The International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles in the field of integrated care on a continuous basis.IJIC has an Impact Factor of 2.913 (2021 JCR, received in June 2022)The IJIC 20th Anniversary Issue was published in 2021
New integrated care models to improve health, healthcare quality, and patterns of service use among children and young people
The International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles in the field of integrated care on a continuous basis.IJIC has an Impact Factor of 5.120 (2020 JCR, received in June 2021)
Online community engagement in response to Covid‐19 pandemic
Community participatory research is a method of active engagement between community members to develop interventions that catalyse social change and improve health outcomes.1 Increasingly, particularly in low-middle-income countries (LMICs), participatory research is used to co-develop low-cost community interventions. UK health policy and providers are also placing increasing emphasis on strengthening community services to equitably optimize hea…
Usability-Focused Development and Usage of NeoTree-Beta, an App for Newborn Care in a Low-Resource Neonatal Unit, Malawi
Background: Neonatal mortality is high in low-resource settings. NeoTree is a digital intervention for neonatal healthcare professionals (HCPs) aiming to achieve data-driven quality improvement and improved neonatal survival in low-resource hospitals. Optimising usability with end-users could help digital health interventions succeed beyond pilot stages in low-resource settings. Usability is the quality of a user's experience when interacting wit…
Risk factors of mortality in neonates with neonatal encephalopathy in a tertiary newborn care unit in Zimbabwe over a 12-month period
Neonatal encephalopathy (NE) accounts for ~23% of the 2.4 million annual global neonatal deaths. Approximately 99% of global neonatal deaths occur in low-resource settings, however, accurate data from these low-resource settings are scarce. We reviewed risk factors of neonatal mortality in neonates admitted with neonatal encephalopathy from a tertiary neonatal unit in Zimbabwe. A retrospective review of risk factors of short-term neonatal encepha…
Developing a community facilitator‐led participatory learning and action women's group intervention to improve infant feeding, care and dental hygiene practices in South Asian infants
INTRODUCTION: The Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition (NEON) study is a multiphase project that aims to optimize feeding, care and dental hygiene practices in South Asian children <2 years in East London, United Kingdom. The multiphase project uses a participatory learning and action (PLA) approach facilitated by a multilingual community facilitator. In this paper, we elaborate on the process and results of the Intervention Development Phase in t…
A Citizen Science Approach to Identifying Indoor Environmental Barriers to Optimal Health for under 5s Experiencing Homelessness in Temporary Accommodation
The first five years of life are critical for optimal growth, health, and cognitive development. Adverse childhood experiences, including experiencing homelessness, can be a risk factor for multiple health issues and developmental challenges. There is a dearth of data collected with and by families with children under age five living in temporary accommodation due to experiencing homelessness (U5TA) describing indoor environmental barriers that p…
The Impact of the Pandemic on Mental Health in Ethnically Diverse Mothers
Restrictions implemented by the UK Government during the COVID-19 pandemic have served to worsen mental health outcomes, particularly amongst younger adults, women, those living with chronic health conditions, and parents of young children. Studies looking at the impact for ethnic minorities have reported inconsistent findings. This paper describes the mental health experiences of mothers from a large and highly ethnically diverse population duri…
Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the provision and uptake of services for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is targeting elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV by December 2025, however the COVID-19 pandemic challenged health service delivery globally. Monthly aggregated data were extracted from DHIS-2 for all facilities delivering antenatal care (ANC). ZIMSTAT and Spectrum demographic estimates were used for population-level denominators. Programme indicators are among those in HIV care and population indicators reflect the total …
How Does Living in Temporary Accommodation and the Covid-19 Pandemic Impact under 5s’ Healthcare Access and Health Outcomes? A Qualitative Study of Key Professionals in a Socially and Ethnically Diver…
Background: Children < 5 years living in temporary accommodation (U5TA) are vulnerable to poor health outcomes. Few qualitative studies have examined service provider perspectives in family homelessness; none have focused on U5TA with a cross-sector approach. This study explored professionals’ perspectives of the barriers and facilitators, including pandemic-related challenges, experienced by U5TA in accessing healthcare and optimising health out…
“Getting pregnant during Covid-19 was a big risk because getting help from the clinic was not easy”
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated measures may have disrupted delivery of maternal and neonatal health services and reversed the progress made towards dual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis in Zimbabwe. This qualitative study explores the impact of the pandemic on the provision and uptake of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services from the perspectives of women and maternal healthcare providers…
Gaining consensus on emotional wellbeing themes and preferences for digital intervention type and content to support the mental health of young people with long‐term health conditions
BACKGROUND: Young people (YP) with long-term conditions (LTCs) are at greater risk of psychological distress than those without LTCs. Despite this, there is a scarcity of quality digital interventions designed to help improve mental wellbeing in this population. The aim of this study was to determine what YP, parents and health professionals preferred for future interventions. METHODS: Twenty-six YP with asthma, diabetes and/or epilepsy (the thre…
Economic evaluation
Background: The Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition (NEON) programme was designed to promote equitable early childhood development by educating mothers of South Asian origin in two boroughs (Newham and Tower Hamlets) in East London on optimal feeding, care, and dental hygiene practices. The study found that the adapted Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) approach was highly acceptable and well-received by participants, with improvements in ma…
Clinical prediction models to diagnose neonatal sepsis in low-income and middle-income countries
INTRODUCTION: Neonatal sepsis causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide but is difficult to diagnose clinically. Clinical prediction models (CPMs) could improve diagnostic accuracy, facilitating earlier treatment for cases and avoiding antibiotic overuse. Neonates in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) are disproportionately affected by sepsis, yet no review has comprehensively synthesised evidence for CPMs validated in this…
Adapting a digital quality improvement system (Neotree) for newborn care in primary health centres and community hospitals
BACKGROUND: Digital innovations incorporating clinical digital support can improve the delivery of perinatal and postnatal care, yet few interventions exist in primary care settings. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to adapt a digital quality improvement system (Neotree) from tertiary facilities to lower-level facilities providing Level 1 newborn care. METHODS: We conducted a mixed method stepwise study using the ADAPT framework. We conducted a needs and tec…
Adapting a Participatory Group Programme for Caregivers of Children with Complex Neurodisability from Low-, Middle-Income Countries to a High-Income Setting
The "Baby Ubuntu" programme is a well-established, low-cost, community-based intervention to support caregivers of children with complex neurodisability, like cerebral palsy, in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) contexts. This process-focused paper describes our utilisation of the ADAPT guidance to adapt "Baby Ubuntu" for use in ethnically and linguistically diverse, and economically deprived urban boroughs in the United Kingdom (UK). The pro…
Feasibility of an Adapted Participatory Group Programme for Caregivers of Children With Complex Neurodisability in the United Kingdom
Impact and cost-effectiveness of Neotree, a digital data capture and decision support tool designed to improve neonatal survival in Zimbabwe
INTRODUCTION: Many neonatal deaths are avoidable using existing low-cost evidence-based interventions. This study evaluated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Neotree, a digital quality improvement tool combining data capture with education and clinical decision support, implemented in a Zimbabwean hospital. METHODS: Neotree was implemented in Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital (CPH) in December 2020. Using data collected for all neonates admi…
Medicine (17 works) · Psychology (9 works) · Global Maternal and Child Health (8 works) · Health care (8 works) · Nursing (7 works) · Internal Medicine (6 works) · Pediatrics (6 works) · Political science (6 works) · Qualitative research (6 works) · Sociology (6 works)