The ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) model uses a virtual educational lecture series and patient case discussion to improve provider preparedness to treat patients and improve patient outcomes. Our department has successfully used the model to expand the mental health and addictions care in our state and currently has ECHO programs in perinatal psychiatry, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), autism, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, first episode psychosis, trauma recovery and addictions. Our latest ECHO launch will test whether the model can enhance the care of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Successful TBI recovery can depend in large part on access to and engagement in behavioral health treatment, but TBI-focused community resources are scarce and fragmented. Treatment of post-TBI symptoms often falls to community providers who have little support and are under-prepared to manage these complexities. This burden disproportionally affects rural providers who have little access to specialist care at academic centers. Under the leadership of Jennifer Erickson, DO, and with support from Cara Towle, RN MSN MA, a new TBI ECHO will train community providers from a variety of disciplines and settings who treat persons with TBI. The project is being initially funded by the Garvey Institute for Brain Health Solutions with an additional two years of funding from the Washington State TBI Advisory Council. TBI ECHO will cover the identification of TBI and evidence-based behavioral health treatments and will provide detailed case consultation. The team will assess the success, reach and impact of the TBI ECHO by collecting and comparing attendee experiences, clinical information and patient outcomes. The program will launch in January 2022.