Associate Professor
Unit: Health Outcomes Research and Policy
Auburn University
Harrison College of Pharmacy
4306c Walker Building
Auburn, AL 36849
Email: kavooja@auburn.edu
Phone: 334-844-8301
Fax: 334-844-8307
Dr. Jan Kavookjian joined the faculty of the Harrison College of Pharmacy in June 2006 and currently serves as an associate professor in the Department of Health Outcomes Research and Policy. Dr. Kavookjian has been named a Fellow of APhA (2018) and ADCES (2020). In addition to her faculty role, she also is a National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) Lifestyle Coach and was elected as the 2022 President of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists.
Dr. Kavookjian’s research areas include behavior sciences and outcomes research in chronic disease management (diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and others). She studies patient-reported psycho/social variables, health behaviors, and humanistic outcomes (satisfaction and quality of life) in adults and youth with diabetes. She also studies behavior change interventions and their impact on patient outcomes, with a particular expertise in evidence-based Motivational Interviewing training (has trained over 3,300 interprofessional practitioners); she also has a central focus on behavioral intervention research assessing patient as well as practitioner outcomes from MI-based behavioral intervention strategies including MI-based academic detailing training to influence prescribing behaviors in work with States with CDC funding aimed at fighting the opioid and substance use crises through provider-based abuse prevention.
Dr. Kavookjian’s expertise in Motivational Interviewing training as an intervention has been applied in various projects to impact patient behavior changes (MI-trained pharmacists talking with persons with diabetes about medication taking), and provider behavior changes (recent projects focused on provider-based opioid abuse prevention and stimulant prescribing strategies).
(underline = student author; * = senior author, methods lead)
Kavookjian J. Ch 3, Theoretical and behavioral approaches to the Self-Management of Health, in Cornell S, Miller DK, Urbanski P, eds. The Art and Science of Diabetes Care and Education. 6th ed. Chicago: Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists; 2023;89-122.
Kavookjian J. Motivational Interviewing. (Invited Chapter). In Richardson M, Chant C, Chessman KH, Finks SW, Hemstreet BA, Hume AL, et al, eds. Pharmacotherapy Self- Assessment Program, 7th ed. Book 8: Science and Practice of Pharmacotherapy. Lenexa, KS: American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), 2011:1-18.
Crosby ES, Spitzer EG, Kavookjian J*(corresponding author). Motivational interviewing effects on positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy adherence: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Behavioral Sleep Medicine 2023; 1-28. doi.org/10.1080/15402002.2022.2108033
Novak JR, August KJ, Kavookjian J, Whitley HP, Burnett D. Exploring typologies of appraisals, involvement, and distress in type 2 diabetes family members. Journal of Health Psychology 2023; 28(2): 133-148. doi.org/10.1177/13591053221115326
McDaniel CC, Lo-Ciganic WJ, Garza KB, Kavookjian J, Fox BI, Chou C. Medication use and contextual factors associated with meeting guideline-based glycemic levels in diabetes among a nationally representative sample. Frontiers in Medicine 2023; 10, 1158454.
McDaniel CC, Kavookjian J*, Whitley HP. Telehealth delivery of motivational interviewing for diabetes management: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Patient Education and Counseling 2022; 105 (4): 805-820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2021.07.036
Davidson T, LaManna J, Davis J, Blanchette J, Whitehouse C, Hammons T, Ojeda M, McDaniel C, Fahim S, Kavookjian J*. Diabetes education impact on quality of life in type 1 diabetes: A systematic review of RCTs. The Science of Diabetes Self- Management and Care 2022; 48(2): 111-135. doi.org/10.1177/26350106211070266 Jones C, Kavookjian J*, Winkler D, Wadsworth DD. Motivational interviewing and physical activity outcomes in African American adults: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. J Physical Activity Research 2022; 7(1): 18-26. DOI: 10.12691/jpar-7-1-4.
Suire K, Peart A, Kavookjian J, Wadsworth D. Impact of motivational interviewing as a follow-up to an exercise intervention among women with or at risk for metabolic syndrome: A randomized controlled trial. SAGE Open Medicine 2022; 10(1):1-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121211073434
Spring K, Kavookjian J*, Carroll A, Wadsworth DD. Benefits of motivational interviewing on adolescent physical activity: A systematic review. Journal of Physical Activity Research 2022; 8(2): 89-97. doi: 10.12691/jpar-7-2-3
Winkler DJ, Suire KB, Kavookjian J*, Wadsworth DD. Motivational interviewing impact on cardiac rehabilitation program outcomes: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation 2022; 6(3):164.
Novak JR, August KJ, Kavookjian J, Whitley HP, Burnett D. Exploring typologies of appraisals, involvement, and distress in type 2 diabetes family members. Journal of Health Psychology 2022; 1-16. doi.org/10.1177/13591053221115326
Kavookjian J*(corresponding author), Cox C, LaManna J, Davidson P, Ekong G, McDaniel CC, Fahim SM, et al. Diabetes education impact on quality of life outcomes in youth with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care 2022; 1-31. https://doi.org/10.1177/26350106221115450.
Kavookjian J*, Bzowyckyj A, DiNardo M, Kocurek B, Kolb LE, Noe D, Ryan D, Saunders MM, See M, Uelmen S. Current and emerging trends in diabetes care and education: A national practice and workforce survey. The Science of Diabetes Self- Management and Care 2022; 48(5):307-323. doi.org/10.1177/26350106221120787
Suire K, Kavookjian J*, Wadsworth D. Motivational interviewing impact on overweight children: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Pediatrics 2020; 146(5) e20200193; DOI: https//doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-0193
Suire K, Kavookjian J, Feiss R, Wadsworth D. Motivational interviewing for weight management among women: A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs. Int J Behavioral Medicine 2021; 28(4): 403-416.
Poudel N, Kavookjian J* (corresponding author), Scalese M. Motivational Interviewing as a strategy to impact outcomes in heart failure patients: A systematic review. ThePatient-PatientCenteredOutcomesResearch2020; 13(1): 43-55. DOI: 10.1007/s40271-019-00387-6
Ekong G, Chou C, Lakin J, Hardin A, Fox B, Hunt C, Kavookjian J*. Pharmacist-led motivational interviewing for diabetes medication adherence in a worksite wellness program. Journal of American Pharmacists Association 2020; 60(6): e224 – e229.
LaManna J, Lichtman ML, Dickinson JK, Todd A, Julius MM, Whitehouse CR, Hyer S, Kavookjian J* (corresponding author and methods lead). Diabetes education impact on hypoglycemia outcomes: A systematic review of evidence and gaps in the literature. The Diabetes Educator 2019; 45(4): 349-369
Schaefer MR, Wagoner ST, Young ME, Kavookjian J*, Shapiro SK, Gray WN. Parent perceptions of their college student’s self-management of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. J Adolescent Health 2018; 63(5): 636-642.
Schaefer MR, Kavookjian J*. The impact of motivational interviewing on adherence and symptom severity in adolescents and young adults with chronic illness: A systematic review. Patient Education and Counseling 2017; 100(12): 2190-2199.
Schaefer MR, Resmini-Rawlinson A, Wagoner ST, Shapiro SK, Kavookjian J*, Gray WN. Adherence to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder medication during the transition to college. J Adolescent Health 2017; 60(6): 706-713.
Ekong G, Kavookjian J. Motivational interviewing and outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review of the literature. Patient Education and Counseling 2016; 99(6):944-52.
Alatawi Y, Kavookjian J, Ekong G. A pilot study of medication adherence beliefs in patients with type 2 diabetes. ResearchinSocialandAdministrativePharmacy2016; 12(6):914-925.
Teeter BS, Kavookjian J. Telephone-based motivational interviewing for medication adherence: A systematic review. TranslationalBehavioralMedicine, 2014. 4(4): 372- 381.
Hill S, Kavookjian J. Motivational interviewing as a behavioral intervention to increase HAART adherence in patients who are HIV+: A systematic review of the literature. Aids Care 2012.1-10.
Sundaram M, Kavookjian J, Patrick JH, Madhavan SS, Miller LA & Scott V. Quality of Life, Health Status, and Clinical Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes Patients. Quality of Life Research 2007.16(2):165-177.PharmD Professional Curriculum:
Person-Centered Skills for first year students
Motivational Interviewing advanced elective course for third year students
Motivational Interviewing skills training labs coordinator
Health Literacy Communication curricular content
Cultural Competence curricular content
Graduate Program in Health Outcomes Research and Policy:
Advanced Motivational Interviewing Elective course coordinator and instructor
Social and Behavioral Theory core course content instructor
Graduate Students Advised (Auburn University – AU; West Virginia University – WVU)
PhD Students:
Robert Alongi (AU, Chair)
Gladys Ekong (AU, Chair)
Tatjana Petrova (AU, Chair)
Michelle Breland (AU, Co-Chair)
Linda Byrd (AU, Chair)
Cassidi McDaniel (AU, Committee Member)
Yi Zhao (AU, Committee Member)
Eric Crosby (Clinical Psychology) (AU, Outside Reader)
Melissa Miller (Clinical Psychology) (AU, Outside Reader)
Margaret Young (Clinical Psychology) (AU, Committee Member)
Kameron Suire (Kinesiology) (AU, Committee Member)
Darby Winkler (Kinesiology) (AU, Committee Member)
Scott Wagoner (Clinical Psychology) (AU, Outside Reader)
Megan Schaefer (Clinical Psychology) (AU, Outside Reader)
Abhishek Krishna Pillai (AU, Committee Member)
Andrea Pfalzgraf (WVU, Committee Member)
Vivek Pawar (WVU, Committee Member)
Mariam Hassan (WVU, Committee Member)
Khalid Kamal (WVU, Committee Member)
MS Students:
Amie Hardin (Nutrition and Dietetics) (AU, Committee Member)
Seth Hill (AU, Chair)
Rahul Khanna (WVU, Chair)
Murali Sundaram (WVU, Chair)
Siddhesh Kamat (WVU, Chair)
Abhishek Krishna Pillai (AU, Committee Member)
Honors College Senior Thesis:
Patrick Llewellyn (AU, Chair)