The ECHO Model and its Benefits
The ECHO Model™
Project ECHO® dramatically improves both capacity and access to specialty care for rural and underserved populations. This low-cost, high-impact intervention is accomplished by linking expert interdisciplinary specialist teams ("hubs") with primary care clinicians ("spokes") through teleECHO™ clinics.
Regularly scheduled teleECHO sessions bring together expert interdisciplinary specialists and community-based partners using web-based videoconferencing technology. Through this technology, Project ECHO aims to provide community-based clinicians with knowledge, decision support, and specialty consultation services. During each session, experts mentor primary care clinicians to help them manage their patient cases and share their expertise via mentoring, guidance, feedback, and didactic education.
URMC Project ECHO® Benefits
- Access to a multidisciplinary team of specialists
- Team-based interdisciplinary professional development
- Expanded delivery of evidence-based best practice care
- Improved health outcomes for patients and caregivers
- Increased practitioner and patient satisfaction
- Cost savings at service system level by decreasing unnecessary service utilization
- Continuing Medical Education (CME/CE) credits