Project Echo – Telementoring for Complex Health Conditions

Project echo is a method of telementoring that connects primary-care practitioners with multi-disciplinary teams. This model is designed to improve care for patients with complicated health conditions, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

The ECHO model was developed at the University of New Mexico in 2003 with a focus on treating hepatitis C patients from populations that are underserved and prisons. The ECHO model has since been replicated throughout the world in a variety of clinical areas such as diabetes, asthma chronic pain, asthma, and rheumatology. The ECHO model is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the GE Foundation, and the Leona M. and Harry B Helmsley Charitable Trust.

During ECHO sessions, participants present de-identified case studies, and take part in a group discussion with content experts via videoconferencing. In this “all teach and all learn” format, providers share their knowledge and experiences with others in order to help answer questions, provide feedback, and offer clinical recommendations.

The ECHO model allows remote monitoring of the patient’s outcomes. Specialists at the University of New Mexico follow each community provider’s treatment plans to ensure that their patients receive high-quality care. The specialists may make adjustments at mid-course if patients are not adhering to the prescribed therapy. This can help avoid treatment failure and improves the likelihood of a successful outcome. Specialists can also make use of the ECHO system to track their data and identifying areas of care that are not being met. This information is then transferred to local doctors so that they can better serve their patients.

Cardinal Health

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