Pamela KohlerPh.D., MPH, RN
she/her
Chair and Professor
Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing
Centers for Research Excellence
- Center for Global Health Nursing
Profile
Professor
Interim Chair, Department of Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing
Senior Technical Advisor, International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH)
I am a Professor in the Department of Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing, with a joint appointment in the Department of Global Health within the Schools of Public Health and Medicine. My clinical expertise includes HIV care, disaster response, and emergency nursing. I hold a PhD in Nursing Science and an MPH in Health Services from the University of Washington.
My research focuses on health services interventions aimed at improving adolescent engagement in HIV care. I have led interventions and evaluations using standardized patient actors to assess and enhance the quality of care. In my role with the International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), I have directed training in field epidemiology and quality improvement, as well as conducted evaluations of STD/HIV policies and programs in Eastern and Southern Africa.
Areas of Interest
- Research Interests: Adolescent health, HIV, health services interventions, patient actor training, global health
Research Interests
- Health Equity
- Innovative Interventions
- Lifespan Health
Degrees & Education
- Ph.D. in Nursing, University of Washington, 2012
- MPH, University of Washington, 2006
- B.S.N., Johns Hopkins University, 2000
- B.A., University of Washington, 1996
Professional Licensures & Certifications
- RN, 2000, Washington
Journal Articles
- 2024. "Developing a global partnership to adapt and deliver interprofessional education faculty training in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic: reporting on an innovative collaboration." Journal of interprofessional care 38. 942-946.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2024.2343829 - 2024. "Effect of Improved Provider Communication and Adherence to Guidelines on PrEP Initiation in Kisumu Kenya." Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999).
https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000003567 - 2024. "Using FRAME to characterize provider-identified adaptations to a stepped care intervention for adolescents and youth living with HIV in Kenya: a mixed methods approach." Journal of the International AIDS Society 27 Suppl 1. e26261.
https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.26261 - 2024. "Provider reported implementation barriers to hepatitis C elimination in Washington State." BMC primary care 25. 252.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-024-02507-0 - 2024. "Evaluating an equity-focused approach to assess climate resilience and disaster priorities through a community survey." PloS one 19. e0302106.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0302106 - 2024. ""Another tool for the sexual health toolkit": U.S. health care provider knowledge and attitudes about doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxy-PEP) to prevent bacterial sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men." Sexually transmitted diseases.
https://doi.org/10.1097/OLQ.0000000000002095 - 2024. ""I was given PrEP, but had no privacy": Mystery shopper perspectives of PrEP counseling for adolescent girls and young women in Kisumu County, Kenya." PloS one 19. e0309075.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309075 - 2023. "Implementation determinants and strategies in integration of PrEP into maternal and child health and family planning services: experiences of frontline healthcare workers in Kenya." Frontiers in reproductive health 5. 1205925.
https://doi.org/10.3389/frph.2023.1205925 - 2023. "Effect of HIV stigma on depressive symptoms, treatment adherence, and viral suppression among youth with HIV." AIDS (London, England) 37. 813-821.
https://doi.org/10.1097/QAD.0000000000003473 - 2023. "Individual-, Interpersonal- and Institutional-Level Factors Associated with HIV Stigma Among Youth in Kenya." AIDS and behavior 27. 2566-2578.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-023-03982-9 - 2023. "'I feel that I should decide on my own….': Who should be involved in the decision-making process for adolescent involvement in HIV research?." BMJ global health 8.
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012966 - 2023. "Development and validation of a prediction tool to support engagement in HIV care among young people ages 10-24 years in Kenya." PloS one 18. e0286240.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286240 - 2023. "Condom Use Behaviors, Risk Perception, and Partner Communication Following Oral HIV Self-testing Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Kenya: A Cohort Study." AIDS and behavior 27. 1727-1740.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-022-03904-1 - 2023. "Nursing Workforce Optimization Study: A Multi-method Evaluation and Process Improvement Intervention for HIV Service Delivery in Tanzania and Zambia." The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANAC 34. 146-157.
https://doi.org/10.1097/JNC.0000000000000388 - 2023. "Experiences With Pharmacy-Based PrEP Delivery Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Kisumu, Kenya." Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care 22. 23259582231215882.
https://doi.org/10.1177/23259582231215882 - 2023. "Simulated patient training to improve youth engagement in HIV care in Kenya: A stepped wedge cluster randomized controlled trial." PLOS global public health 3. e0001765.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001765 - 2023. "Higher rates of mental health screening of adolescents recorded after provider training using simulated patients in a Kenyan HIV clinic: results of a pilot study." Frontiers in public health 11. 1209525.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1209525 - 2023. "The Fidelity of a Pharmacy-Based Oral HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Delivery Model in Kenya." Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) 93. 379-386.
https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000003208 - 2023. ""They have given you the morale and confidence:" adolescents and young adults want more community-based oral HIV self-testing options in Kenya." AIDS care 35. 392-398.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2022.2067315 - 2023. ""[T]he laws need to change to reflect current society": Insights from stakeholders involved in development, review or implementation of policies about adolescent consent for HIV testing, care and research in Kenya." Journal of the International AIDS Society 26. e26057.
https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.26057 - 2022. "Data-informed stepped care to improve youth engagement in HIV care in Kenya: a protocol for a cluster randomised trial of a health service intervention." BMJ open 12. e062134.
- 2022. "Improving Quality of PrEP Counseling for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Kenya With Standardized Patient Actors: A Dose-Response Analysis." Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) 89. 34-39.
- 2022. "Contrasting Comprehension of HIV Research by Adolescents, Young Adults, and Caregivers in Western Kenya: A Cross-sectional Analysis." The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANAC 33. 542-549.
https://doi.org/10.1097/JNC.0000000000000336 - 2022. "Kenyan HIV Clinics With Youth-Friendly Services and Trained Providers Have a Higher Prevalence of Viral Suppression Among Adolescents and Young Adults: Results From an Observational Study." The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANAC 33. 45-53.
https://doi.org/10.1097/JNC.0000000000000302 - 2022. "High Acceptance and Completion of HIV Self-testing Among Diverse Populations of Young People in Kenya Using a Community-Based Distribution Strategy." AIDS and behavior 26. 964-974.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-021-03451-1 - 2022. "Mystery Shopper Assessment of PrEP Service Delivery Quality for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Kenya: A Cross-sectional Study." The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANAC 33. 534-541.
https://doi.org/10.1097/JNC.0000000000000350 - 2022. "Key influences on the decision to initiate PrEP among adolescent girls and young women within routine maternal child health and family planning clinics in Western Kenya." AIDS care 34. 363-370.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2021.1981217 - 2022. " “I have actually not lost any adolescent since I started engaging them one on one:” Training satisfaction and subsequent practice among health providers participating in a standardized patient actor training to improve adolescent engagement in HIV care. ." Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care 21. 23259582221075133.
https://doi.org/10.1177/23259582221075133 - 2021. "Contraceptive Method Mix and HIV Risk Behaviors Among Kenyan Adolescent Girls and Young Women Seeking Family Planning Services: Implications for Integrating HIV Prevention." Frontiers in reproductive health 3. 667413.
https://doi.org/10.3389/frph.2021.667413 - 2021. "The Psychosocial Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Youth Living with HIV in Western Kenya." AIDS and behavior 25. 68-72.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-03005-x - 2021. "Influences on Early Discontinuation and Persistence of Daily Oral PrEP Use Among Kenyan Adolescent Girls and Young Women: A Qualitative Evaluation From a PrEP Implementation Program." Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) 86. e83-e89.
https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000002587 - 2021. "Accelerating adolescent HIV research in low-income and middle-income countries: evidence from a research consortium." AIDS (London, England) 35. 2503-2511.
https://doi.org/10.1097/QAD.0000000000003049 - 2021. "Evaluation of a New Field Epidemiology Training Program Intermediate Course to Strengthen Public Health Workforce Capacity in Tanzania." Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974) 136. 575-583.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0033354920974663 - 2021. "Contraceptive counseling experiences among women attending HIV care and treatment centers: A national survey in Kenya." Contraception 104. 139-146.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2021.04.011 - 2021. "Brief Report: "What Is This PrEP?"-Sources and Accuracy of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Awareness Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women Attending Family Planning and Maternal Child Health Clinics in Western Kenya." Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) 88. 356-360.
https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000002782 - 2020. "Can Adolescents and Young Adults in Kenya Afford Free HIV Testing Services?." The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANAC 31. 483-492.
https://doi.org/10.1097/JNC.0000000000000012 - 2020. "Standardised patient encounters to improve quality of counselling for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Kenya: study protocol of a cluster randomised controlled trial." BMJ open 10. e035689.
- 2020. "Brief Report: Time to Repeat Viral Load Testing Among Unsuppressed Adolescents and Young Adults Living With HIV in Kenya." Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) 85. 606-611.
https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000002498 - 2020. "Training Exposure and Self-Rated Competence among HIV Care Providers Working with Adolescents in Kenya." Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care 19. 2325958220935264.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2325958220935264 - 2020. "Community Perceptions About Use of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Kenya." The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANAC 31. 669-677.
https://doi.org/10.1097/JNC.0000000000000191 - 2020. "Modeling the health impact and cost threshold of long-acting ART for adolescents and young adults in Kenya." EClinicalMedicine 25. 100453.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100453 - 2020. "High Awareness, Yet Low Uptake, of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women Within Family Planning Clinics in Kenya." AIDS patient care and STDs 34. 336-343.
https://doi.org/10.1089/apc.2020.0037 - 2020. "Adolescent participation in HIV research: consortium experience in low and middle-income countries and scoping review." The lancet. HIV 7. e844-e852.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3018(20)30269-1 - 2020. "Depression and HIV risk behaviors among adolescent girls and young women seeking family planning services in Western Kenya." International journal of STD & AIDS 31. 652-664.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0956462420920423 - 2019. "Pilot evaluation of a standardized patient actor training intervention to improve HIV care for adolescents and young adults in Kenya." AIDS care 31. 1250-1254.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2019.1587361 - 2019. "Influence and involvement of support people in adolescent and young adult HIV testing." AIDS care 31. 105-112.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2018.1524563 - 2019. "Health provider training is associated with improved engagement in HIV care among adolescents and young adults in Kenya." AIDS (London, England) 33. 1501-1510.
https://doi.org/10.1097/QAD.0000000000002217 - 2019. "Distance to HIV and Antenatal Care: A Geospatial Analysis in Siaya County, Kenya." The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANAC 30. 548-555.
https://doi.org/10.1097/JNC.0000000000000050 - 2019. "Acceptability, feasibility and utility of a Mobile health family planning decision aid for postpartum women in Kenya." Reproductive health 16. 97.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-019-0767-9 - 2019. "A systematic review and meta-analysis of postpartum contraceptive use among women in low- and middle-income countries." Reproductive health 16. 154.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-019-0824-4 - 2017. "Continuous quality improvement intervention for adolescent and young adult HIV testing services in Kenya improves HIV knowledge." AIDS (London, England) 31 Suppl 3. S243-S252.
https://doi.org/10.1097/QAD.0000000000001531 - 2017. "Systems Mapping of Sexually Transmitted Infection Services at Three Clinical Sentinel Surveillance Sites in South Africa: Opportunities for Integrated Care." The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANAC 28. 154-164.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jana.2016.09.004 - 2017. "A Risk Assessment Tool for Identifying Pregnant and Postpartum Women Who May Benefit From Preexposure Prophylaxis." Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 64. 751-758.
https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciw850 - 2017. "Simulated patient encounters to improve adolescent retention in HIV care in Kenya: study protocol of a stepped-wedge randomized controlled trial." Trials 18. 619.
- 2017. "A national evaluation using standardised patient actors to assess STI services in public sector clinical sentinel surveillance facilities in South Africa." Sexually transmitted infections 93. 247-252.
https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2016-052930 - 2017. ""At our age, we would like to do things the way we want: " a qualitative study of adolescent HIV testing services in Kenya." AIDS (London, England) 31 Suppl 3. S213-S220.
https://doi.org/10.1097/QAD.0000000000001513 - 2016. "Safety, Feasibility, and Acceptability of the PrePex Device for Adult Male Circumcision in Malawi." Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) 72 Suppl 1. S49-55.
https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000000774 - 2016. "Classification and rates of adverse events in a Malawi male circumcision program: impact of quality improvement training." BMC health services research 16. 61.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1305-x - 2016. "Sexually transmitted infection screening uptake and knowledge of sexually transmitted infection symptoms among female sex workers participating in a community randomised trial in Peru." International journal of STD & AIDS 27. 402-10.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0956462415584488 - 2015. "A community-based assessment of correlates of facility delivery among HIV-infected women in western Kenya." BMC pregnancy and childbirth 15. 46.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-015-0467-6 - 2014. "Geographic distribution of HIV stigma among women of childbearing age in rural Kenya." AIDS (London, England) 28. 1665-72.
https://doi.org/10.1097/QAD.0000000000000318 - 2014. "Community-based evaluation of PMTCT uptake in Nyanza Province, Kenya." PloS one 9. e110110.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0110110 - 2014. "Shame, guilt, and stress: Community perceptions of barriers to engaging in prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) programs in western Kenya." AIDS patient care and STDs 28. 643-51.
https://doi.org/10.1089/apc.2014.0171 - 2013. "Male, mobile, and moneyed: loss to follow-up vs. transfer of care in an urban African antiretroviral treatment clinic." PloS one 8. e78900.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0078900 - 2012. "Increased incidence of symptomatic peripheral neuropathy among adults receiving stavudine- versus zidovudine-based antiretroviral regimens in Kenya." Journal of neurovirology 18. 200-4.
- 2011. "Implementation of free cotrimoxazole prophylaxis improves clinic retention among antiretroviral therapy-ineligible clients in Kenya." AIDS (London, England) 25. 1657-61.
https://doi.org/10.1097/QAD.0b013e32834957fd - 2011. "Knowing a sexual partner is HIV-1-uninfected is associated with higher condom use among HIV-1-infected adults in Kenya." Sexually transmitted diseases 38. 808-10.
https://doi.org/10.1097/OLQ.0b013e31821c3713 - 2010. "Comparing clinic retention between residents and nonresidents of Kibera, Kenya." Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) 53. 422-4.
- 2010. "Determinants of failure to access care in mothers referred to HIV treatment programs in Nairobi, Kenya." AIDS care 22. 729-36.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09540120903373565 - 2008. "Abstinence-Only and Comprehensive Sex Education and the Initiation of Sexual Activity and Teen Pregnancy." Journal of Adolescent Health 42.
https://openalex.org/W2125198099
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.08.026 - 2008. "Transfer of care is associated with longer unsuccessful resuscitations." The American journal of emergency medicine 26. 206-11.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2007.04.032 - 2008. "Abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education and the initiation of sexual activity and teen pregnancy." The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 42. 344-51.
Poster Presentations
- 2022. "Beyond Satisfaction Surveys: A Global Perspective on Patient-Centered Care." Puget Sound Research Forum. June.
- 2022. "Standardized patient training to improve PrEP counseling to adolescent girls and young women in Kenya." Inter-CFAR Working Group on Women and HIV. June.
Classes
- G H 595: Master's Practicum
- G H 600: Independent Study or Research
- G H 700: Master's Thesis
- G H 701: Master's Capstone
- NMETH 596: Application of Methods in Conduct of Research
- NMETH 801: Practice Doctorate Project
- NSG 551: Health Politics and Policy
- NURS 505: Selected Topics in Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing
- NURS 599: Selected Readings in Nursing Science
Grants
- Sustain and Accelerate a Comprehensive HIV Response in the United Republic of Tanzania under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Tanzania Health Promotion Support
- Data-informed Stepped Care (DiSC) to Improve Adolescent HIV Outcomes, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- RiNGH (Research in Nursing & Global Health) Training Program, National Institute of Nursing Research