Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO): a new model for community health worker training and support

Authors

Miriam Komaromy, ECHO Institute, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Venice Ceballos, ECHO Institute, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Andrea Zurawski, ECHO Institute, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Thomas Bodenheimer, Center for Excellence in Primary Care, University of California, 995 Potrero Avenue, 3rd floor, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA
David H. Thom, Center for Excellence in Primary Care, University of California, 995 Potrero Avenue, 3rd floor, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA
Sanjeev Arora, ECHO Institute, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-1-2018

Abstract

More than 50,000 community health workers (CHWs) are employed in the United States (US), a country with no national accreditation or certification program. In the US, CHWs are trained, formally and/or on-the-job, and rarely is long-term mentoring included. We developed a CHW training program using the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) model™, distance education using video teleconferencing to support case-based learning, and mentoring of healthcare providers from medically underserved communities. We describe the ECHO model for CHW training and mentoring using case examples and pre/post-surveys from our obesity prevention and addiction recovery programs. Using the ECHO model to train and support CHWs offers advantages over traditional training methods, and can be adapted in other countries to support CHWs to improve health in their communities.

Recommended Citation

Komaromy M, Ceballos V, Zurawski A, Bodenheimer T, Thom DH, Arora S. Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO): a new model for community health worker training and support. J Public Health Policy. 2018 May;39(2):203-216. doi: 10.1057/s41271-017-0114-8. PMID: 29263437.