Pediatric Project ECHO for Pain: Implementation and Mixed Methods Evaluation of a Virtual Medical Education Program to Support Interprofessional Pain Management in Children and Youth

BMC Medical Education (01/28/2023) Vol. 23, No. 71 Lalloo, C.; Mohabir, V.; Campbell, F.; et al.

A mixed methods approach evaluated a Pediatric ECHO for Pain program directed toward interprofessional pain management. The study primarily focused on the feasibility of program implementation based on participation and acceptability. They conducted a needs assessment prior to launch in order to develop a pediatric pain-specific Project ECHO curriculum, involving 35 professionals from 21 healthcare institutions. The program hosted 85 TeleECHO virtual seminar sessions, and about 34 healthcare providers (HCP) attended each one. From baseline to six months, the topic-specific knowledge scores of TeleECHO clinic participants improved across all categories. Ninety percent of the Core Competency participants improved their global knowledge concerning pediatric pain management, which 36% said led to practice change. Participants noted their average self-efficacy scores for most skills also improved significantly. "Most participants indicated that the program had a positive impact on various aspects of their practice, including their ability to provide quality care to children with acute or chronic pain needs," the authors report. These findings demonstrate the ECHO model's feasibility for helping HCPs care for children with acute and chronic pain during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read More