Project ECHO in the Caribbean: Building a Virtual Community for Palliative Care Education Needs

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Medical Education
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Limited availability of specialized palliative care education tools for healthcare providers in the Caribbean.
• Growing need for enhanced palliative care services across the region.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the first adapted Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) model for palliative care providers in the Caribbean.
• To assess the impact of virtual, case-based sessions on knowledge, skills, and practice of regional palliative care providers.

Main Methods:

• Mixed methods analysis of a Project ECHO program tailored for Caribbean palliative care providers.
• Virtual, case-based educational sessions focusing on symptom management, communication, and psychosocial support.

Main Results:

• High participant satisfaction reported with the ECHO model.
• Significant improvements observed in participants' sense of community (1.23, P ≤ 0.01) and confidence in palliative care skills (0.64, P ≤ 0.01).
• Enhanced knowledge reported for monthly topics covered in the sessions.

Conclusions:

• The Project ECHO model is effectively adapted to meet the needs of Caribbean palliative care providers.
• Further capacity building, supportive public policy, and research are crucial to expand palliative care access in the region.