FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is ECHO?
2. How is ECHO model different from traditional telemedicine?
3. What is a teleECHO clinic?
4. Why should I or my health center consider participating in the OUD teleECHO clinic? What are the benefits?
5. What will I learn related to the topic of OUD?
6. Is there a fee to join?
7. Do I need to have my SAMHSA waiver in order to participate in ECHO?
8. When do teleECHO clinics occur?
9. How do I register?
10. Is the ECHO clinic approved for Continuing Medical Education?
11. Is the ECHO clinic approved for Continuing Education Units?
12. Why can't I text the number for my CME credit?

1. What is ECHO?

Project ECHO, developed by Dr. Sanjeev Aurora at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in 2003, provides a framework for sharing expertise across the state and as a result will help patients get access to care without leaving the providers they trust and the communities where they live and work.

ECHO uses technology to leverage medical expertise, reduces disparities in care by sharing knowledge, and provides case-based learning to enhance mastery of new information. Evaluation of the programs through UNM, and around the world, showed increased patient and provider satisfaction, retention of patients in their medical home, equal or better patient outcomes when treated in their community by their provider, enhanced retention of providers in underserved areas, reduced costs of treating late-stage disease and improved public health prevention efforts.

2. How is ECHO model different from traditional telemedicine?

The ECHO model is not 'traditional telemedicine' where the specialist assumes care of the patient, but instead is a guided practice model where the participating providers retain responsibility for managing their patients. In other words, specialists at the OUD ECHO hub provide telementorship to participating providers who are learning how to apply best practice strategies in their own practices.

3. What is a teleECHO clinic?

A teleECHO clinic is essentially virtual grand rounds. Primary care providers from multiple locations around the state of Indiana connect at regularly scheduled times with a team of specialists using low-cost, multi-point videoconferencing. During teleECHO clinics providers present patient cases to specialist expert teams who mentor the providers to manage patients with common, complex conditions – in this case, opioid use disorder. These case-based discussions are supplemented with short didactic presentations to improve content knowledge and share evidence based best practices.

4. Why should I or my health center consider participating in the OUD teleECHO clinic? What are the benefits?

Project ECHO is a unique tool that enables providers to improve their expertise while treating patients with common complex conditions rather than referring them on to specialists. Patients will receive care in their local communities with providers they trust – you. As a participant, you will have weekly access to a panel of OUD experts as well as a community of colleagues from around the state who are committed to improving care for patients with OUD. Specifically, our team has extensive knowledge, expertise, and understanding of the cultural and demographic components of opioid use disorder. We will provide mentorship in all aspects of this disease from assessment and diagnosis to treatment and long-term management (i.e., medication assisted treatment, counseling, case management, etc.). Participating in ECHO can increase patient retention in your practice and improve patient satisfaction. Helping patients by treating their OUD can not only be a rewarding experience for you, but you can SAVE LIVES and reconnect families. Some additional benefits:

• Provider Development and Retention - Through Project ECHO, primary care providers acquire new skills and competencies, expanding access to care. They become part of a community of learners, increasing professional satisfaction and decreasing feelings of professional isolation. For a health center, this means that providers are more productive and stay in their positions longer.
• Continued Learning – Health centers and their providers also enjoy no-cost access to continued learning and specialist consultations during the teleECHO clinics. This enables health centers to be part of a knowledge network.
• Increased Efficiency – ECHO has allowed health centers to see more patients and to better utilize their staff to serve more patients overall. The model allows health centers to be part of a professional network and referral network, making it easier to get patients in to be seen, a process which previously could take weeks. This standardization of 'best practices' also strengthens the health system as a whole.

5. What will I learn related to the topic of OUD?

Didactic training and mentorship will be addressed on the following:

6. Is there a fee to join?

Joining OUD ECHO is free to all providers. OUD ECHO clinics will meet online using freely available, web-based Zoom videoconferencing. Each session will consist of a brief didactic presentation of a topic related to OUD care and presentations and discussions of case patients by participating providers. The group of 25-30 community providers will have the opportunity to work through each case in a collaborative fashion and receive guidance from the multidisciplinary expert ECHO team. To participate, you only need to have access to the internet. Participation with a webcam is highly encouraged but not absolutely required.

7. Do I need to have my SAMHSA waiver in order to participate in ECHO?

It is not necessary to have the waiver at the time you begin the ECHO clinics, however, you should plan to obtain it relatively soon.

8. When do teleECHO clinics occur?

The dates and times for all clinics can be found on the Tracks page.

9. How do I register?

If you are interested in registering for the OUD ECHO, please visit our Get Involved page. Once registered, a packet of information will be sent to you. We hope you'll consider joining us for OUD ECHO in Indiana!

10. Is the ECHO clinic approved for Continuing Medical Education?

In support of improving patient care, Indiana University School of Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team, including nurses, pharmacists, physicians. CME will be provided to all members at no cost.

Participants should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their live, online attendance at the activity.

For questions and concerns, please contact:
IU School of Medicine, Division of Continuing Education in Healthcare Processions
(317)274-0104
ceph@iu.edu
https://iu.cloud-cme.com/default.aspx

In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) Standards for Commercial Support, educational programs sponsored by the IU School of Medicine must demonstrate balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor.

11. Is the ECHO clinic approved for Continuing Education Units?

Category I Continuing Education Units are available for Social Workers, Clinical Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, Marriage and Family Therapy Associates, Mental Health Counselors, Mental Health Counselor Associates, Addiction Counselors, and Clinical Addiction Counselors as outlined by the Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board pursuant to Indiana Code 25-1-4-0.2. CEU will be provided to all members at no cost.

Participants should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their live, online attendance at the activity.

For questions and concerns, please contact:
IU School of Medicine, Division of Continuing Education in Healthcare Processions
(317)274-0104
ceph@iu.edu
https://iu.cloud-cme.com/default.aspx

12. Why can't I text the number for my CME credit?

If you're unable to text for CME credit, make sure that you have a profile set up on the IU CME website: https://iu.cloud-cme.com/default.aspx Once your profile is set up, you will be able to text for credit. Note that you must include your mobile phone number that you will text from in order to use the texting service. If your mobile phone number changes, you will need to edit your profile before texting your attendance.