University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center

Project ECHO

The University of New Mexico (UNM) Health Sciences Center’s Project ECHO, or Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes, is working to provide “health care without walls” by bridging the gap between primary and specialty care. Through the Project, primary care providers (PCPs) are able to connect with UNM specialists who, together with the PCPs, work to safely and effectively manage the care of patients with complex chronic conditions in their home communities. Additionally, the project offers web-based disease management tools for the PCPs that can facilitate consults with specialists at UNM and track health outcomes.

Every week, participating providers meet via videoconference for “virtual grand rounds,” where specialists from the University of New Mexico present and discuss cases with the PCPs. The program utilizes real-time learning to provide continuing education for participating providers by spreading groundbreaking advances in medical treatment. In addition to connecting PCPs with specialists at UNM, Project ECHO utilizes a rapid-response mechanism that can be used during public health emergencies to mobilize the health care workforce and disseminate best practices for delivering care to those with chronic illnesses.

Project ECHO is supported by a three-year, $5 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and received additional funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the New Mexico Legislature, UNM, and the New Mexico Department of Health.

Project ECHO was first developed for the management of hepatitis C virus (HCV). The project’s director wrote in an article for the journal Hepatology that “few practitioners, particularly in rural and underserved areas, have the knowledge to manage its emerging treatment options, side effects, drug toxicities and treatment-induced depression.” Using data from observation of ECHO weekly clinics, a database of ECHO clinic participation and patient presentations by clinical provider, researchers concluded that ECHO successfully expands access to best practice care for underserved populations. They added the program successfully “builds communities of practice to enhance professional development and satisfaction of primary care clinicians, and expands sustainable capacity for care by building local centers of excellence.” More specifically, researchers said the initial survey data studied demonstrates a significant improvement in provider knowledge, self-efficacy and professional satisfaction, while clinicians reported a moderate to major benefit from participation.


For more information about Project ECHO, please contact:

Sanjeev Arora
Director
Project ECHO
[email protected]  

Related article
The Commonwealth Fund. Case Study: Project ECHO Expands Access to Specialty Care for Rural Patients. December 2009.