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. 2023 Aug 3:8:e46050.
doi: 10.2196/46050.

The Promising Success of Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Diabetes: Case Series

Lauren Figg #  1 , Ananta Addala #  1   2 , Ishaan Jain #  3 , Claudia Anez #  4   5 , Paul Midney #  6 , Corin DeChirico #  6 , Colleen Symanski #  7 , Brian C Fitzgerald #  8 , Kristi Colbert #  9 , Terry Raymer #  9 , Candy Stockton-Joreteg #  10 , Elizabeth Murphy #  11 , Leah Collins #  12 , Cyd Bernstein #  12 , Melanie Hechavarria #  4   5 , Eleni P Sheehan #  4   5 , Angelina Bernier #  4   5 , Sarah C Westen #  13 , Korey K Hood #  1   2 , Dessi P Zaharieva #  1 , Marina Basina #  2   14 , Nicolas Cuttriss #  1   2   15 , Stephanie L Filipp #  16 , Matthew J Gurka #  16 , Ashby F Walker #  5   17 , David M Maahs #  1   2 , Michael J Haller #  4   5 , Rayhan A Lal #  1   2   14
Affiliations

The Promising Success of Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Diabetes: Case Series

Lauren Figg et al. JMIR Diabetes. .

Abstract

Background: In the United States, there are over 37 million people with diabetes but only 8000 endocrinologists. Therefore, many people with diabetes receive care exclusively from primary care providers (PCPs). To democratize knowledge regarding insulin-requiring diabetes through tele-education, Stanford University and the University of Florida developed Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Diabetes.

Objective: ECHO Diabetes uses a Hub and Spoke model connecting specialists (the "Hub") with PCPs (the "Spokes"). One-hour, weekly sessions include Hub diabetes didactic presentations and Spoke deidentified case presentations. Lessons learned during these sessions target provider knowledge and confidence surrounding diabetes management and patient care.

Methods: Spokes were asked to provide short descriptions of people with diabetes whose diabetes management improved directly or indirectly from their providers' participation or their involvement with a Diabetes Support Coach (DSC). We provide a case series to describe individuals and outcomes. Because this study was not a randomized controlled trial and was a prospective observation of patients with the intervention delivered to providers, the trial is not registered in a public trials registry.

Results: A case series of 11 people with diabetes was compiled from 10 PCPs and 1 DSC from California and Florida between 2021 and 2022. The principal impact of ECHO Diabetes is the education amplified from PCPs and DSCs to people with diabetes. In all cases, people with diabetes reported increased engagement and improved diabetes management. Several cases reflected increased access to diabetes technology, improvement in glycemic outcomes, and positive trends in mental health measures.

Conclusions: This case series elucidates the potential value of the ECHO Diabetes program to people with diabetes who receive their diabetes care from PCPs. Those matched with a DSC saw clinically significant improvements in hemoglobin A1c and mental health outcomes.

Keywords: care delivery; community health care; primary care; type 1 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: LF, AA, IJ, CAZ, PM, CDC, CS, BCF, KC, TR, CS, EM, LC, CB, MH, EPS, AB, SCW, KKH, MB, SLF, MJG, and AFW have no disclosures. NC has consulted for The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and Cecelia Health. DMM has consulted for Abbott, the Helmsley Charitable Trust, Sanofi, Eli Lilly, and Novo Nordisk, and has served on an advisory board for Insulet. MJH has consulted for SABiotherapeutics, Sanofi, and Mannkind. RAL has consulted for Abbott Diabetes Care, Biolinq, Capillary Biomedical, Deep Valley Labs, Morgan Stanley, Gluroo, and Tidepool. DPZ has received speaker’s honoraria from Medtronic Diabetes, Ascensia Diabetes, and Insulet Canada, and is also on the Dexcom Advisory board.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes overview.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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