Project ECHO™ (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a telementoring model aimed at increasing access to health care by allowing providers to collaborate and learn together. Launched in 2023, PEN-NC is currently building the first statewide ECHO™ network in North Carolina, connecting, supporting, and providing resources to all ECHO™ programs throughout the state.
Project ECHO’s™ History
Project ECHO™ was started by Dr. Sanjeev Arora at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center in 2002. Arora, one of New Mexico’s few gastroenterologists who specialized in Hepatitis-C treatment, had a patient pass away from delayed care due to a lack of transportation. In response, he created Project ECHO™ to allow doctors to train each other and share information, preventing similar tragedies from ever happening again.
He said, “Every year, millions of people around the world die of diseases that are preventable, treatable, and even curable because the health care providers in their communities don’t have the knowledge and expertise needed to address their conditions.” Project ECHO™ is working to reduce these disparities, ensuring that every provider is fully equipped to provide care to their communities.
Over the past 20 years, Project ECHO™ has expanded to over 200 countries and areas worldwide, with over 5.8 million participants. These ECHOs, ranging in subject, are working to increase access to equitable health care and address some of the world’s most pressing health challenges.
The ECHO™ Model
Project ECHO™ uses a hub-and-spokes model to effectively reach communities globally. During ECHO™ sessions, participant learners (spokes) engage with subject matter experts (hubs) virtually to discuss real (anonymized) cases. This bidirectional, case-based learning model allows providers to learn, collaborate, and provide expert care to patients.
The ECHO™ model is based on four core components:
- Amplification: Using technology to leverage scarce resources
- Best Practices: Sharing best practices to reduce disparities
- Case-Based Learning: Applying case-based learning to master complexity
- Data: Evaluating and monitoring outcomes
This “all teach, all learn” model enables participants to engage in a virtual learning community where they can share and receive peer feedback. As a result, new techniques and best practices are implemented in several communities, allowing providers to improve.
PEN-NC, North Carolina’s First ECHO™ Network
Launched in April 2023, the Project ECHO™ Network in North Carolina (PEN-NC) will serve as the nation’s first statewide ECHO™ Network, coordinating and providing resources to ECHOs throughout the state. This organization, a partnership between the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) and the Foundation for Health Leadership and Innovation (FHLI), is funded by Duke Endowment.
PEN-NC will work in alignment with FHLI’s mission of improving the health and well-being of all North Carolinians by coordinating with existing ECHOs and supporting the creation of new programs. By connecting key partners and reducing inefficiencies, PEN-NC will aid in professional development for health care providers and ensure that Project ECHO™ reaches every community.