MetaECHO Conference 2017
Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes – ECHO is an innovative model that is rippling across the globe and improving access to care. Dr Sanjeev Arora, professor of gastroenterology at University of New Mexico, is the pioneer founder of the ECHO concept. He began ECHO by empowering community level practitioners in managing Hepatitis C. The aim is to demonopolize knowledge and allow the experience and best practices of experts to reach those practitioners working in the community where it is most applicable.
ECHO achieves this through a guided practice model using hub-and-spoke knowledge-sharing virtual networks, led by expert team and attended by practitioners from different settings who share similar patient concerns. It combines brief didactic presentations and case-discussions to communicate the nuances of the themes identified. TIPS began the 1st ECHO based training palliative care in India in Jan 2017 and is currently conducting four ECHOs on different themes in palliative care. (Click here for details on upcoming ECHO sessions.)
The 3rd MetaECHO conference was held at Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA from September 12th to 17th, with the theme – Infinite Possibilities. The event, coordinated by Dr Max Watson, brought in ECHOists from across the world who shared their experience of force multiplication of knowledge through his truly democratic platform. TIPS ECHO team – represented by Dr Nandini Vallath participated in a panel discussion on using ECHO for palliative care education. She presented an overview and five hey learnings from the experiences of conducting palliative care ECHO in India and India’s that targets the largest population, spanning the entire country of India and beyond. The other panelists were Dr Suresh Reddy and Sriram Yennu from MD Anderson who shared experience as the biggest cancer hospital in the world, with target population of specialist teams throughout Africa; and Chris Piromalli from Alaska who gave perspective of engaging American Indians and Alaska Natives through a multidisciplinary approach palliative care ECHO involving the Community Health Aides/Practitioners.
In ECHO all teach and all learn – Dr Sanjeev Arora
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