What if we could move specialist medical knowledge to patients in remote areas, rather than needing to move patients to specialist centers? Project ECHO, an innovative model which effectively upskills existing health systems, uses proven adult learning techniques and simple video technology to connect groups of frontline healthcare providers (spokes) with specialists at a distant medical center (hub) for weekly “virtual rounds”. These sessions, designed around case-based learning and mentorship, help local health workers gain the expertise they need to diagnose and treat complex medical conditions like tuberculosis, hepatitis C and HIV – with cure rates equaling those of experts. Since its launch in 2003, Project ECHO has grown through 34 countries across six continents. With support from Co-Impact and others, Project ECHO is now poised to transform India’s health system, with the aim of providing access to specialized medical care to at least 4 million people over the next five years.
Panoramic photograph showing a community settled on a mountainside next to a river.
