Project ECHO, which stands for Extension of Community Health Outcomes, was created by Dr. Sanjeev Arora at the University of New Mexico in 2002. Project ECHO follows a ‘Hub’ and ‘Spoke’ model of knowledge dissemination and capacity building, which aims to exchange knowledge between academic health science centres and the frontline of community care partners. It relies on the flow of knowledge in multiple directions: from experts to primary care providers; between primary care providers; and from primary care providers to experts. This model is appropriate for physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers and has been successfully replicated over 120 times throughout the United States, Canada and globally. The mission of Project ECHO is to touch 1 billion lives by 2025.
Project ECHO Care of the Elderly launched in January 2018 with the vision to enhance the quality of care to older adults in Ontario, by improving the knowledge and skills of primary care providers in meeting the healthcare needs of older adults. This involves collaboration between the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. Baycrest and North East Specialized Geriatric Centre to provide valuable tools and subject matter experts to enhance Care of the Elderly ECHO sessions.
The objectives of ECHO Care of the Elderly include:
- Equip primary care providers to provide more comprehensive care for their frail complex aging patients
- Utilize existing telehealth and tele-education services at Baycrest to facilitate geriatrics training to primary care providers across Ontario, particularly in remote, underserved areas
- Meet the demand for care of Ontario’s aging population by expanding the reach of Baycrest's and NESGC's expertise in care of the elderly
If you are interested in participating in ECHO Care of the Elderly, or would like more information, contact us at: echo@baycrest.org
To learn more about project ECHO please visit the Baycrest ECHO page.