Project ECHO NL: Opioid Use Disorder

What is Project ECHO NL?

Project ECHO NL: Opioid Use Disorder, is a virtual community advancing care and treatment for opioid use disorder in Newfoundland and Labrador. The goal is to help primary care providers and their teams build capacity in the treatment and management of opioid use disorder.

ECHO Learning Sessions

This project offers free, virtual learning sessions using an interactive, web-based platform to link health-care providers with an interdisciplinary team of mentors with expertise in managing substance use care.

ECHO sessions are designed around case-based learning and mentorship and support health-care providers in gaining the knowledge and skills required to provide needed services in their regions.

What is ECHO?

Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a global movement changing the way clinical knowledge is delivered and disseminated.

Launched in 2003, Project ECHO uses proven adult learning techniques and interactive video technology to connect community providers with specialists in regular collaborative sessions.

The ECHO Model

The ECHO model is an effective approach that engages rural and remote health-care providers, enhances competencies in a given health area, and improves uptake of evidence-based practices.

The ECHO model is based on the premise of moving knowledge, not people. There are currently 960 ECHO programs and ECHO engagements in 169 countries (September 2021). These metrics continue to climb. For more information on Project ECHO, please visit https://echo.unm.edu/.

Primary care providers

Who is Project ECHO NL: Opioid Use Disorder for?

Project ECHO NL: Opioid Use Disorder is for primary care providers and their teams, to help them build capacity in the treatment and management of opioid use disorder.

Primary care providers and opioid use disorder

Primary care providers are well-positioned to screen and assess for addiction, connect patients to treatment, and support relapse prevention. However, many clinicians do not have experience caring for individuals with opioid use disorder, may have practical questions about how to initiate and titrate treatments, and may be unaware of local clinical supports and resources.

Benefits

• Project ECHO NL: Opioid Use Disorder will allow participants to acquire new skills and competencies.
• Health-care providers will become part of a community of learners, increasing professional satisfaction and decreasing feelings of professional isolation.

Contact Us

The Provincial Opioid Dependence Treatment Centre of Excellence is coordinating Project ECHO NL: Opioid Use Disorder.

Please direct questions to Kate Lambert at Kate.Lambert@easternhealth.ca

Upcoming Sessions

Cycle 1 will include 11 sessions held every three weeks between October 2021 and May 2022.

Session 11: Opioid Agonist Treatment and Continued Substance Use: How Harm Reduction Improves Patient Outcomes

Tuesday, May 31, 2022
8:30 – 9:30 a.m. NDT
Session 11 flyer (PDF)

Registration

Please contact Chelsea Hynes at Chelsea.Hynes@easternhealth.ca.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s involved in an ECHO session?

Project ECHO NL: Opioid Use Disorder sessions are one hour in length. Each session begins with a brief presentation based on the weekly curriculum topic, delivered by a guest mentor or a member of the core mentoring team. The majority of the session involves the presentation and discussion of a de-identified patient case submitted by one of the participating community providers. The session concludes with a summary of case recommendations made by both participants and mentors based on their clinical knowledge and experiences.

Who is the target audience?

The primary audience for Project ECHO NL: Opioid Use Disorder is prescribers (family physicians and nurse practitioners) and pharmacists. The secondary audience is other health-care professionals providing care for individuals with opioid use disorder, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, social workers, and addictions counsellors.

How do I register?

Registration is free but required. Registration is completed on a per-session basis. Please contact Chelsea Hynes at Chelsea.Hynes@easternhealth.ca.

How do I participate?

All sessions take place using the Zoom videoconferencing platform. Participants can either download the Zoom application on their device or participate through their Internet browser. There will also be a phone-in option.

Can I Submit a Case for Discussion?

All participants are welcome and encouraged to contribute de-identified clinical cases for discussion during ECHO sessions. This requires completing a brief case form or submitting a paragraph describing the case and presenting the case during a session (five minutes maximum). To submit a case, please contact Kate Lambert at Kate.Lambert@easternhealth.ca.

Where can I find the curriculum for Cycle 1?

Cycle 1 topics will include:

• Opioid Use Disorder and Concurrent Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Optimizing Patient Retention in Opioid Dependence Treatment
• Opioid Use Disorder and the Pregnant Patient
• Managing Patients with Concurrent Opioid Use Disorder and Mental Health Disorders
• Microdosing as an Induction Approach
• Monitoring the Patient on Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT): What and How to Monitor?
• Opioid Use Disorder and the Incarcerated Patient
• Introduction to Concurrent Opioid Use Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder
• Introduction to Managing Patients with Concurrent Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder
• Trauma-Informed Care in Addictions Practice
• Opioid Agonist Treatment and Continued Substance Use: How Harm Reduction Improves Patient Outcomes

Please note the session topics are not listed in chronological order. This website will be updated as sessions are scheduled.

When are the sessions?

ECHO sessions are one hour, held every three weeks on a rotating schedule of Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. NDT.

Where can I find out more information about ECHO programs?

For more information about ECHO programs across the country, please visit ECHO Canada. This page has an interactive map showcasing the ECHO programs that currently exist in each province and will also feature national ECHOs.

*Website content adapted from the BC ECHO on Substance Use.

Are the ECHO sessions eligible for Mainpro+ credits?

Yes, this one-credit-per hour Group Learning program has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter for up to 11 Mainpro+ credits.