Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association
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Multicenter Study
The educational impact of the Specialty Care Access Network-Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes program.
With the aging hepatitis C cohort and increasing prevalence of fatty liver disease, the burden on primary care providers (PCPs) to care for patients with liver disease is growing. In response, the Veterans Administration implemented initiatives for primary care-specialty referral to increase PCP competency in complex disease management. The Specialty Care Access Network-Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes (SCAN-ECHO) program initiative was designed to transfer subspecialty knowledge to PCPs through case-based distance learning combined with real-time consultation. There is limited information regarding the initiative's ability to engage PCPs to learn and influence their practice. ⋯ This study shows that the SCAN-ECHO videoconferencing program between PCPs and specialists can educate providers in the delivery of specialty care from a distance and potentially improve healthcare delivery.