Show-Me ECHO: Complex Disease Care Capacity-Building Telehealth Program

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Medical Education
• Telehealth

Background:

• The University of Missouri and Missouri Telehealth Network partnered with the State of Missouri to enhance healthcare delivery in rural areas.
• The Show-Me ECHO project, established in 2014, focuses on improving healthcare outcomes in six key disease states through provider capacity building.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Show-Me ECHO project in improving healthcare outcomes in rural Missouri.
• To assess the impact of telehealth provider mentoring and case-based learning on healthcare providers.

Main Methods:

• Data collection included participant attendance, case presentations, Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits awarded, and self-efficacy.
• Program evaluation was conducted continuously.
• Cost-savings data were planned for collection after the first year.

Main Results:

• A total of 269 providers participated in ECHO sessions, engaging with de-identified patient cases and didactic learning.
• Participant demographics included PhD or Master level providers (42%), physicians (25%), and nurses (23%).

Conclusions:

• Telehealth provider mentoring combined with case-based learning demonstrates efficacy in modifying provider and patient behavior.
• This approach holds potential for improving patient outcomes in underserved rural populations.