Project ECHO

The ECHO model^™ breaks down the walls between specialty and primary care. It links expert specialist teams at an academic ‘hub’ with primary care clinicians in local communities – the ‘spokes’ of the model. Together, they participate in teleECHO^™ clinics, which are like virtual grand rounds, combined with mentoring and patient case presentations. During teleECHO clinics, primary care clinicians from multiple sites present patient cases to the specialist teams and to each other, discuss new developments relating to their patients, and determine treatment.

Specialists serve as mentors and colleagues, sharing their medical knowledge and expertise with primary care clinicians. Essentially, ECHO^® creates ongoing learning communities where primary care clinicians receive support and develop the skills they need to treat a particular population or condition. As a result, they can provide comprehensive, best-practice care to patients with complex health conditions, right where they live.