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Bone Health TeleECHO: a Force Multiplier to Improve the Care of Skeletal Diseases in Underserved Communities

  • Quality of Care in Osteoporosis (S Silverman and J Curtis, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Osteoporosis Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

This review describes the global development of a model of technology-enabled collaborative learning for healthcare professionals called Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) and its applications for the management of patients with skeletal diseases.

Recent Findings

The prototype Bone Health TeleECHO was established in 2015, with others now operational in the USA and other countries, and more expected to follow soon. Each teleECHO program, in the right language and convenient time zone, provides a virtual community of practice for healthcare professionals to benefit from real-time interactive case-based learning and brief didactic presentations on topics of interest.

Summary

Bone Health TeleECHO elevates the level of knowledge of participants and improves self-confidence in managing patients with skeletal diseases. The development of many teleECHO programs worldwide serves as a force multiplier, with the potential to narrow the osteoporosis treatment gap and enhance the effectiveness of fracture liaison services.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    E. Michael Lewiecki & Rachelle Rochelle

  2. New Mexico Clinical Research & Osteoporosis Center, 300 Oak St. NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106, USA

    E. Michael Lewiecki

  3. MNI Great Lakes ECHO LLC, Grand Blanc, MI, USA

    Avery Jackson III

  4. Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

    Anne F. Lake

  5. National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland

    John J. Carey

  6. The National Research Medical Centre for Endocrinology, Moscow, Russia

    Zhanna Belaya & Galina A. Melnichenko

Authors
  1. E. Michael Lewiecki
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  2. Avery Jackson III
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  3. Anne F. Lake
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  4. John J. Carey
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  6. Galina A. Melnichenko
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  7. Rachelle Rochelle
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. Michael Lewiecki.

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Conflict of Interest

In the past year, E. Michael Lewiecki has received no direct income from potentially conflicting entities. His employer, New Mexico Clinical Research & Osteoporosis Center, has received research grants from Radius, Amgen, Mereo, Bindex; income for service on scientific advisory boards or consulting for Amgen, Radius, Alexion, Sandoz, Samsung Bioepis; service on speakers’ bureaus for Radius, Alexion; project development for University of New Mexico; and royalties from UpToDate for sections on DXA, fracture risk assessment, and prevention of osteoporosis. He is a board member of the National Osteoporosis Foundation, International Society for Clinical Densitometry, and Osteoporosis Foundation of New Mexico.

Avery Jackson is a consultant and speaker for Medtronic.

Anne F. Lake is a consultant and advisor for Radius Health on Fracture Liasion Services.

John J. Carey has received speaker fees from Eli Lilly, Amgen, Pfizer, UCB Ireland and Europe, Pfizer Canada, Brazil and Europe, Hospira UK, Europe, and Canada, and Celltrion USA and Europe. He has received consulting fees from Hospira UK, Canada, and Europe, and UCB Europe. He has received grant and educational support from Amgen Ireland, UCB. Europe, Eli Lilly Ireland, Abbvie, MSD Ireland, and the Irish Society for Rheumatology. He has gotten travel support from Roche, Amgen, Eli Lilly, MSD, and UCB Ireland with meals and educational programs from MSD and Pfizer Ireland. He has also served on several committees for, and as President, of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry, is a member of the Committee for Scientific affairs for the International Osteoporosis Foundation, and is a founding member of, and current president, of the Irish DXA Society.

Zhanna Belaya, Galina A. Melnichenko, and Rachelle Rochelle have nothing to disclose.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Addendum

Since the original submission of this manuscript, Own the Bone Orthopaedic Bone Health TeleECHO and Rare Bone Disease TeleECHO have both become operational, with ongoing monthly case-based interactive videoconferences.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Quality of Care in Osteoporosis

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Lewiecki, E.M., Jackson, A., Lake, A.F. et al. Bone Health TeleECHO: a Force Multiplier to Improve the Care of Skeletal Diseases in Underserved Communities. Curr Osteoporos Rep 17, 474–482 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11914-019-00543-9

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