Digital tool to spot and reduce stigma in HIV care in Nepal
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
A co-designed mobile tool to help people with HIV and clinic staff notice and reduce stigma that can block care at ART centers in Nepal.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11160808 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You and clinic staff will help design a digital tool that is used during ART visits to capture how stigma from HIV, mental health, and other issues affects care. The tool will collect quick ratings and allow you to add short comments about your experiences, and it will share summarized results on a clinic dashboard alongside routine health records. Clinics will use the dashboard to prioritize which stigma issues to address and offer tailored support or referrals. The project will pilot the tool in selected ART centers in Nepal to see how it works in real clinic visits.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with HIV who get treatment at participating ART centers in Nepal and are willing to use a short digital questionnaire and share their experiences.
Not a fit: People who do not attend the participating ART centers or who cannot or do not want to use a digital tool are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the tool could help clinics identify stigma-related barriers sooner and connect patients to supports that keep them in care and improve health.
How similar studies have performed: Previous human-centered digital projects have improved HIV care in Nepal, but combining dynamic, multi-dimensional stigma measures with clinic dashboards is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Acharya, Bibhav — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Acharya, Bibhav
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.