Overview
Initiative type
Model of Care
Status
Deliver
Published
23 August 2018
Summary
Project ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is an online knowledge-sharing network connecting primary community providers (participants) with topic specialists (panel) through real-time collaborative sessions. By addressing barriers such as remoteness, poverty, and cultural barriers ECHO® helps reduce inequities in healthcare access.
Key dates
Ongoing
Implementation sites
Health and Wellbeing Queensland
Partnerships
Children’s Health Queensland and The University of Queensland
Aim
To improve health and lifestyle habits for children and young people across Queensland.
Outcomes
All healthcare professionals play a vital role across the continuum of care. Strengthening their capacity and capability to deliver best practice prevention, identification and treatment of obesity and minimise weight stigma ensures Queenslanders have access to evidence-based care where children and families remain at the centre of their healthcare.
Background
Childhood obesity is a significant health, economic and social problem, with one in four Queensland children living with overweight or obesity. This substantially increases the risk of developing both medical and psychological comorbidities, and is considered a chronic disease.
Many health practitioners are hesitant to raise the topic due to discomfort, limited awareness of secondary services, or they are unsure of the treatment options. Tertiary weight management services are delivered from the Queensland Children’s Hospital with additional satellite sites at Ipswich and Logan to help tackle this challenge.
Methods
Health services for children living with overweight and obesity are currently very limited. To address these challenges, the Healthy Kids ECHO® series, delivered by Health and Wellbeing Queensland, aims to build the capability of primary health care providers across Queensland by strengthening their knowledge, skills, and confidence to sensitively raise the topic of weight; undertake medical and lifestyle assessment; and consider the social determinants of health. This approach supports children and families to build healthier behaviours and sustainable lifestyle habits together.
Using videoconferencing technology and a structured case presentation format, local healthcare providers including nurses, community healthcare workers and GPs are mentored by topic-experts to deliver specialist-level care in their local communities.
The Healthy Kids ECHO®, formerly Childhood Overweight and Obesity, underwent a comprehensive review and stakeholder consultation in 2021. It now follows the 5A’s framework (Ask, Assess, Assist, Advise, Arrange) providing practical, step-by-step guidance for the prevention, early intervention and treatment of paediatric obesity, aligned with the clinical pathway and Paediatric Obesity Framework.
Discussion and lessons learnt
- The case-based learning component of the sessions has been shown to be a highly useful tool in adult learning and our series feedback continues to highlight the success in mastering complexity.
- Connects clinicians with peers and specialists, creating supportive communities of practice
- Upskilling and empowering participants to gain expert knowledge equips them to manage complex cases locally with greater confidence and competence.
References
Key contact
Lorissa Raethke
Project ECHO Network Coordinator
Health and Wellbeing Queensland