Assessment of Project ECHO^®Opioid Use Disorder Sessions for Primary Care Teams

<h3>Context:</h3> In the US, opioid use disorder (OUD) presents significant and urgent public health concerns. Unfortunately, most individuals suffering from OUD do not have access to necessary care. A critical shortage of clinicians who specialize in treating patients with OUD exacerbates this issue. While primary care (PC) settings have the potential to bridge this gap in care, many care teams lack the education and training required to effectively manage patients with OUD. <h3>Objective:</h3> Address gaps in PC team confidence and knowledge through the implementation and evaluation of longitudinal, team-based Project ECHO® OUD sessions. <h3>Study Design and Analysis:</h3> PC teams (clinical and non-clinical roles) attended 12 online monthly OUD sessions. Participants completed baseline, post-session, and post-intervention surveys. Non-parametric tests were used to compare individual responses before and after participation, as well as responses between different participant group. <h3>Setting:</h3> 20 PC practices located in various regions across the US. <h3>Population studied:</h3> PC teams (clinical and non-clinical roles). <h3>Intervention:</h3> 12 monthly online OUD sessions held from April 2023 to March 2024. 4 expert faculty members developed session curriculum: screening and diagnosis, using behavioral health/counseling, addressing harm reduction, among others. <h3>Outcome Measures:</h3> Changes in confidence and knowledge over time, both at the group and individual levels; and comparisons of confidence and knowledge between PC team roles. Post-session measures assessed practical knowledge, management, and expertise gained from the sessions. <h3>Results:</h3> Surveys collected: baseline (n=130); post-session (n=36 to 79), and post-intervention (n=57). Significant improvements were observed in confidence and knowledge for those who took baseline and post-intervention surveys. Participants were more confident in screening and diagnosing, harm reduction, and motivational interviewing. Most participants indicated that they would benefit from additional ECHO OUD sessions and that the sessions were valuable to PC providers. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> Implementing ECHO OUD team-based sessions could support the improved management of patients with OUD. Including behavioral health education in sessions may help to ensure OUD patient care continuity. Extending the duration of follow-up could provide insight into prescribing practices and individual and population health outcomes. The model could also be applied to other health conditions.