NIH Reporter #5R01TW012682-03

Developing and testing a digital health tool for INterseCtional stigma assessment and reduction at multiple Levels and mUltiple DimEnsions (INCLUDE) to improve HIV care in ART centers in Nepal

NIH awarded $114,326 to University of California, San Francisco to develop and test INCLUDE, a digital tool to assess and reduce intersectional stigma in HIV care in Nepal, aiming to improve care outcomes and support ending the HIV epidemic in the US.

Description

This project aims to develop and pilot test a digital health tool called INCLUDE, which includes a dynamic assessment strategy during clinic visits to collect data on stigma reported by people living with HIV, a dashboard integrating stigma assessment data with routine clinical data to help healthcare workers link stigma with care engagement, and a repository of evidence-based, culturally appropriate activities to reduce stigma at multiple levels. The project will be conducted in Nepal due to higher prevalence of intersectional stigma and existing trusted healthcare access, with plans to inform a future trial in the US. It emphasizes human-centered design principles and involves co-design with people living with HIV, healthcare workers, and researchers to produce an evidence-based, transportable intervention to improve HIV care outcomes and support the end of the HIV epidemic in the US.

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