Engagement With Project ECHO to Increase Medication-Assisted Treatment in Rural Primary Care

Abstract

to implement medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in primary care settings.Methods: A 12-session weekly curriculum was delivered to participating primary care providers and clinic staff (N=24 participants from 13 clinics). Participants completed attendance logs and a qualitative interview in order to identify factors that influence engagement in the ECHO sessions and the potential integration of MAT.Results: Primary care providers and staff valued the ECHO sessions, but overall attendance was low and variable. Participants generally valued the didactic and interactive nature of the sessions but identified system-level constraints that limited engagement. Major barriers to participation included competing demands in patient care and the low degree of endorsement by clinic leadership.Conclusions: This brief report identifies key systematic challenges that may directly limit primary care providers' engagement in telementoring models such as Project ECHO.

Optimizing telehealth pain care after COVID-19

“… 85 Systemic changes (eg, leadership buy-in and modified clinic schedules) that increase the feasibility of regular participation in telementoring may be necessary. 29 , 75 Another E-learning approach for providing structured training and mentored practice of psychologically informed methods for providers to enhance pain self-management by patients with chronic pain involves online webinar-style interactive sessions with skills practice required between sessions. 22 Competency in core skills (eg, explaining chronic pain and teaching activity pacing to a patient) is evaluated.…”

Building Capacity for Medication Assisted Treatment in Rural Primary Care Practices: The IT MATTTRs Practice Team Training

“…Attendance was well-sustained, particularly compared to other MAT training projects using the ECHO model. 20,21 A team approach to MAT training was also supported by reported satisfaction levels. The inclusion of the epidemiologic, neurobiological, and scientific aspects of addiction might risk alienating some staff.…”

“…Attendance was well-sustained, particularly compared to other MAT training projects using the ECHO model. 20 , 21 …”

Provider engagement in Indiana’s opioid use disorder ECHO programme: there is a will but not always a way

“…This mirrors recent qualitative work indicating that external demands on time are a limiting factor for ECHO participation, though ECHO sessions were perceived as convenient and accessible. 14 While accessing high-quality specialty education on Zoom is clearly more time-efficient than travelling to an academic medical centre, especially for rural providers, even 90 min sessions may not always be possible to attend.…”