Register by October 21st!
COVID-19 Matters in Maine Project ECHO Syllabus
Program Description
The Maine AHEC Network COVID-19 Matters in Maine Project ECHOTM seeks to build a virtual learning community through which participants learn best practices and improve knowledge about prevention, preparation and response to COVID-19’s immediate and long-term impacts. This will be accomplished through educational bursts provided by Maine-based subject matter experts, tailored to address relevant and timely issues impacting patients, populations, providers and systems across the state; and regular opportunities to connect with health professions peers to share information and get feedback on patient, population, or systems-level cases.
Program participants will have the opportunity to leverage the expertise of the ECHO team and cohort peers during case presentations, creating an environment of group learning, and promoting the exchange of ideas, best practice, and mutual support in the ongoing response to COVID-19. The program is offered at no-cost by the Maine AHEC Network – a program of the University of New England’s Center for Excellence in Public Health (CEPH) – and in collaboration with UNE’s designated Project ECHO hub, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL).
CEPH’s mission – and the Project ECHOTM framework – are founded on addressing the needs of the most vulnerable communities, sharing best practices to reduce disparities, and empowering public health practitioners and clinicians to collaborate on community health priorities. COVID-19 Matters in Maine will align with this pursuit by weaving a common thread throughout the series: highlighting the disproportionate impacts of not only COVID-19 infection, but also the indirect or broader implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, on vulnerable or high-risk populations.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
- Incorporate new knowledge of best practices in prevention, preparation and response to the impacts of COVID-19 into their clinical practice
- Describe the disparities affecting vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic, and apply strategies to address such disparities at the individual, population, system or community level
- Build confidence in addressing patient, population or systems challenges related to COVID-19
Target Audience
A cohort of Maine-based health professionals, from any setting or discipline: inpatient, outpatient, community-based, long-term care, medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, allied health, behavioral health, social services, public health. All who are interested are welcome!
Project ECHO™
Project ECHO™ (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is an evidence-based method developed by researchers at the University of New Mexico. The ECHO model™ links teams of interdisciplinary specialists with primary care clinicians and practice teams. During teleECHO™ sessions, experts mentor and share their expertise across a virtual network via case-based learning, enhancing the capacity of primary care practice teams to treat patients with complex conditions in their own communities.
As described in the above program description, the COVID-19 Matters in Maine Project ECHO will be expanding the classic ECHOTM model to include cases and discussions focused on population and systems challenges, in addition to patients.
What is the ECHOTM Model?
1. Use technology to leverage scarce resources
2. Share “best practices” to reduce disparities
3. Apply case-based learning to master complexity
4. Evaluate and monitor outcomes via web-based database
Program Structure
COVID-19 Matters in Maine – a limited series ECHO TM – will launch its first monthly session in October 2020 and end in April 2021. Upon participant registration, the COVID-19 ECHO hub team (hereafter referred to as the “hub team”) will reach out to each participant to schedule an individual Zoom meeting prior to the launch, during which a brief orientation will be provided and participants will have the opportunity to ask questions.
A series of seven, 60-minute virtual learning – or ECHO™ – sessions will be offered on the 3rd Wednesday of most months from 7:30 – 8:30 AM. The only exception to this schedule is the initial session, which will instead be held on the 4th Wednesday of the month, October 28th, 2020.
Each ECHO™ session, facilitated by the ECHO Program Manager, will begin with a short, expert-led didactic presentation to improve content knowledge and share evidence-based best practices. This will be followed by a case, presented by a cohort member to the hub team and fellow participants, and open group discussion. Participants will be eligible to receive 1.0 CME credit for each ECHO™ session attended.
Case Presentation
Immediately following the initial ECHO™ session in October 2020, cohort participants will be asked to volunteer to present a case for each of the remaining six sessions (one case per session). The submission of cases for presentation and discussion is a key component in the Project ECHO™ model, and we recognize that adults learn best from their peers and when the learning involves the active construction of their knowledge. The hub team will follow up with you to provide guidance and structure around this presentation, and the Case Presentation template is available here.
What information should be included in a case presentation?
If you are presenting a patient case, it is critical to preserve patient confidentiality at all times during the ECHO™ sessions. No identifiable information should be mentioned or shown during case presentations.
What cases should I present?
We welcome cases that involve clinical scenarios in the care of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, as well as population, clinic and/or system-based challenges related to prevention, preparation and response to COVID-19’s immediate and long-term impacts. The hub team is available to consult with participants about potential cases.
Program Evaluation
To evaluate the program for effectiveness, cohort participants will be asked to complete surveys at the beginning and end of the series. Information from these surveys will be collected and analyzed to measure changes in knowledge, behaviors and confidence of participants through the duration of the program, and to guide quality improvement efforts for mid-course corrections. There will also be a short evaluation survey at the end of each session.
In order to support the growth of the ECHO movement, Project ECHO™ collects participation data for each teleECHO™ program. These data allow Project ECHO™ to measure, analyze, and report on the movement’s reach. It is used in reports, on maps and visualizations, for research, for communications and surveys, for data quality assurance activities, and for decision-making related to new initiatives.
To Obtain CME Credits
Participants will receive CME credits or certificates of attendance for each of the ECHO™ sessions in which they participate for the full time, and complete the accompanying post-session evaluation and CME form.
Commitments
- Virtually connect with the hub team for a brief orientation & opportunity to ask questions, prior to the October 28th, 2020 series launch;
- Participate in monthly ECHOTM sessions, using a virtual meeting platform (Zoom), primarily on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 7:30 to 8:30 AM, beginning October 28th, 2020, and ending April 21st, 2021;
- The October session only is on the 4th Wednesday, October 28th. The usual schedule resumes in November.
- We ask that each cohort member makes every reasonable attempt to attend all seven sessions, and commits to attending at least 5.
- Complete a pre- and post-survey at the beginning and end of the series;
- Volunteer (or accept being assigned) to prepare for and present a case during one of the monthly ECHOTM sessions;
- Complete monthly post-session evaluation surveys & CME forms to receive CME credits/certificates.
Computer Access
Cohort members can attend the ECHOTM sessions using a computer (with speakers, a microphone and laptop camera), tablet or smartphone. They will also need access to high speed internet and a quiet room/location. The program uses a cloud-based video conferencing system called Zoom (http://zoom.us). Zoom also works well on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, and has features like chat, screen sharing and connecting audio by phone. During the orientation, cohort members will receive training with setting up Zoom as needed and preparing for participation in the ECHOTM sessions and case presentations.
If you experience any technical issues, please contact cetl@une.edu for support.
COVID-19 Matters in Maine Project ECHO Hub Team
Elizabeth Mann, RN MSN PHNA – emann1@une.edu
COVID-19 ECHO Program Manager
Micaela Maynard, M.Ed. – mmaynard4@une.edu
COVID-19 ECHO Program Coordinator
Jennifer Gunderman, MPH
Director, Maine AHEC Network
John Kazilionis, DO MS MEdL
Medical Director, Maine AHEC Network
Medical Director, St. Andre Health Care
UNECOM Clinical Associate Professor
Karl Carrigan
Center Coordinator, UNE Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning