ECHO Diabetes

Improving access to diabetes education and quality health care

The majority of people living with diabetes do not have the privilege of access to routine diabetes specialists and endocrinologists. Most people with diabetes rely on their primary care provider (PCP) to manage their diabetes. Lack of access to diabetes specialists and suboptimal outcomes for people living with diabetes care mandate the development of innovative health care delivery models. Stanford University and the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes are dedicated to reaching underserved communities and improving access to diabetes education and quality health care.

Stanford Medicine has partnered with Project ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) and the University of Florida Diabetes Institute (UFDI) to develop an ECHO model for diabetes called ECHO Diabetes. The goal is to increase the capacity of PCPs and clinics to safely and effectively manage underserved patients with insulin-requiring diabetes who do not receive routine specialty care. In turn, PCPs empower patients to achieve better control over their diabetes and gain confidence in managing their own day-to-day care.

ECHO Diabetes is a tele-education and tele-mentoring collaborative that provides cutting-edge knowledge. ECHO Diabetes does the following:

• Focuses on HEDIS/NCQA outcomes, including improving A1c control and decreasing hospital admissions/readmissions.
• Provides no-cost Continuing Medical Education/Continuing Education credits for providers.
• Emphasizes quality improvement and dedicated time to discuss individual QI measures.
• Inspires providers and clinics to do the right thing for their community.
• Offers sponsorship for accepted clinics.

ECHO Diabetes uses the successful Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Model^TM to empower primary care providers (PCPs) across California to administer best-practice diabetes care to their underserved patients. The goal is to equip primary care providers and practices with the tools, resources, and knowledge they need to deliver high-quality type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) care to children and adults, especially in rural and underserved areas where access to endocrinologists and diabetes specialists is limited.