Stakeholder perceptions of the use of a rapidly deployed modified ECHO to train and prepare healthcare providers for COVID-19

Madeline P Casanova; Kayla C Blades; Kathleen Palmer; Lachelle H Smith; Peter Fuerst; Jeffrey G Seegmiller; Russell T Baker

doi:10.1177/22799036221123992

Stakeholder perceptions of the use of a rapidly deployed modified ECHO to train and prepare healthcare providers for COVID-19

J Public Health Res. 2022 Sep 28;11(3):22799036221123992. doi: 10.1177/22799036221123992. eCollection 2022 Jul.

Authors

Madeline P Casanova¹, Kayla C Blades¹, Kathleen Palmer¹, Lachelle H Smith¹, Peter Fuerst¹, Jeffrey G Seegmiller¹, Russell T Baker²

Affiliations

¹ WWAMI Medical Education Program, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.
² WWAMI Medical Education Program; Department of Movement Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.

Abstract

Background: Innovative approaches to deliver timely information to rural healthcare providers are necessary with the COVID-19 pandemic. Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) is a telementoring program designed to provide practitioners in rural communities with opportunities to engage in specialty training. We examined participant perceptions of a rapidly deployed, single continuing education session to improve healthcare provider preparedness for COVID-19 in Idaho.

Methods: A modified Project ECHO session was developed to inform providers about emergency preparedness, treatment, testing, and resources for COVID-19. A post-session survey examined session impact and barriers on clinical practice.

Results: Respondents believed the modified ECHO session increased COVID-19 knowledge and would improve their clinical practice and preparedness. Respondents were satisfied with the session and identified content, interdisciplinary collaboration, and format as beneficial; perceived barriers for utilizing session information included a lack of relevance of content and clinical applicability, and time constraints.

Conclusions: A rapidly deployed modified Project ECHO session was perceived as an effective mechanism to foster collaboration and relay information to promote best practices at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. An established Project ECHO network may be useful to rapidly exchange knowledge and information during a health emergency.

Keywords: COVID-19; Project ECHO; primary care; rural health; tele-education.