ECHO+: Improving access to hepatitis C care within Indigenous communities in Alberta, Canada

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Indigenous Health
• Telehealth

Background:

• Indigenous populations in Canada face disproportionately high rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
• The Extension for Community Health Outcomes+ (ECHO+) telehealth model was adapted to improve HCV screening and treatment access for Indigenous patients in Alberta.
• The program aimed to expand using Indigenous-led or co-designed strategies to enhance specialist care accessibility closer to home.

Purpose of the Study:

• To expand the ECHO+ telehealth program to more Indigenous communities in Alberta.
• To integrate Indigenous-led or co-designed methods into HCV care delivery.
• To address Indigenous-specific challenges in accessing liver specialist care and HCV services.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a Two-Eyed Seeing framework, blending Indigenous wholistic approaches with Western medicine.
• Biweekly telehealth sessions utilizing Zoom technology for specialist consultations.
• Collaborative problem-solving and development of culturally relevant approaches in partnership with Indigenous communities.

Main Results:

• Significant increase in HCV antiviral use over the past 5 years attributed to the program.
• Indigenous-led relationship building and community-needs-driven project development enhanced program impact.
• Increased HCV awareness and flexible service delivery, adapting to challenges like COVID-19.

Conclusions:

• Supporting local primary healthcare providers with culturally safe, reciprocal models is crucial for integrated HCV care.
• The ECHO+ model effectively uses telehealth and culturally appropriate interventions to improve health outcomes.
• Multi-stakeholder collaboration is key to reducing health inequities and improving lives for Indigenous patients with HCV.