—– New program will focus on recruiting,
training and supporting health systems and other providers to build
dementia care expertise in communities across the country
—–
CHICAGO, May 23, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- The Alzheimer's Association has been named the
world's first Project ECHO Superhub for Alzheimer's and
dementia care. The newly established Superhub will provide
training, technical assistance and support to health systems and
other organizations looking to launch ECHO-based programs to
enhance person-centered, high quality dementia care.
Project ECHO uses videoconferencing to connect specialists with
community providers, offering mentoring and support through
interactive presentations, case studies and sharing best practices.
Developed by the University of New
Mexico (UNM) in 2003, ECHO was first used to train primary
care clinicians in rural communities to treat patients with
hepatitis C. Since then, the model has grown to include thousands
of ECHO programs in over 200 countries to improve access to
high-quality care for nearly 100 health conditions and other
categories.
UNM named the Alzheimer's Association a ECHO Superhub in
recognition of the Association's successful Alzheimer's and
Dementia Care ECHO training programs for professional care
providers and health systems and medical professionals, which have
been delivered to more than 2,000 primary care providers and
professional caregivers since launching in 2018.
"The Alzheimer's Association is excited to serve as an ECHO
Superhub for Alzheimer's and dementia care," said Dana Sohmer, director, Project ECHO, Alzheimer's
Association. "We look forward to partnering with health systems and
other providers to build dementia care expertise in more
communities so that all affected by Alzheimer's and other dementia
get the care they need."
While primary care physicians (PCPs) are often on the front
lines diagnosing and caring for people living with dementia, many
say they are not adequately prepared. A 2020 Alzheimer's
Association survey of PCPs found that 50% did not feel adequately
prepared to care for diagnosed individuals. Nearly 40% reported
that they were "never" or "only sometimes" comfortable making a
diagnosis of Alzheimer's or another dementia. More than 25% of PCPs
reported being "never" or "only sometimes" comfortable answering
patient questions about Alzheimer's or other dementias. More than
half of PCPs (55%) say there are not enough dementia care
specialists in their area to meet patient demand, a problem more
common in rural areas.
The Alzheimer's and Dementia Care ECHO Program report is aimed
at enhancing dementia care expertise among PCPs and other
providers. Care providers participating in the program report
increased confidence, knowledge and job satisfaction,
including:
- 96% of PCPs reported that Project ECHO improved quality of
care.
- 99% of PCPs reported increased positive interactions with
caregivers and families.
- 95% of PCPs made changes to care delivery after participation
in ECHO.
- 80% of long-term care providers reported ECHO influenced
positive interactions with caregivers and families.
- 74% of long-term care providers strongly agreed or agreed that
Project ECHO improved quality of care.
"Our Alzheimer's and Dementia Care ECHO Program has a proven
track record of success," Sohmer said. "We want to share our
expertise and the lessons learned over the past six years to help
our new partners establish ECHO programs that benefit front-line
providers, but more importantly, enhance dementia care for the
individuals and families they serve. This is a win-win proposition
for all."
As a newly established Superhub, the Alzheimer's
Association is authorized to recruit, train and support new
partners interested in enhancing person-centered, high quality
dementia care, particularly in underserved areas. Partners will
receive access to wide-ranging Alzheimer's Association resources,
including initial training and ongoing guidance on program design
and planning, curriculum development, target audience and faculty
selection, and budget planning and sustainability planning.
Participation in ECHO is free and offers many benefits for
patients, providers, communities and the health system,
including:
- Expanded access for people in medically underserved areas,
rural and urban, to receive care and support they need from
providers they know.
- Improved patient experiences through decreased wait times and
travel to seek specialty care.
- Improved clinician confidence and competence to diagnose and
manage Alzheimer's disease and other dementia.
- Reduced clinician burden and increased efficiency by optimizing
health care team roles.
- Rapid dissemination of best practices.
- Reduced disparities in care.
- Workforce training.
- Improved quality, safety and population health.
- Potential reduction in health care costs.
In addition to its new work as an ECHO Superhub, the
Alzheimer's Association will continue to offer its existing
Alzheimer's and Dementia Care ECHO Program, which offers separate
training programs for primary care providers, long-term care
community staff and public health professionals. For more
information for participating in any of the Alzheimer's Association
ECHO programs visit alz.org/ECHO or contact
projectecho@alz.org.
The Alzheimer's Association ECHO Superhub is supported by Eisai
and Lilly.
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SOURCE Alzheimer's Association