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New Mexico

"ECHO-F Model to Expand Medication Assisted Treatment in Rural Primary Care," University of New Mexico.

Key Lessons Statistics In the News Accomplishments Conferences and Publications

Key Lessons Learned in Medication-Assisted Treatment Implementation

  • What the Data Show:
    • Preliminary data show the Extensions for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) model is helpful for starting or expanding MAT for opioid use disorder in rural primary care in New Mexico.
    • Data show that participants have overall positive experience with the ECHO-F intervention.
    • Many providers ask for and engage in additional supports to help them start or expand MAT (called “facilitation”).
      • *N currently insufficient to draw final conclusions
  • Additional Support:
    • Additional support is common among clinics participating in the intervention. This support is primarily clinical and is provided via email or telephone outside of ECHO clinic hours. In many cases additional support helps to keep them on track in starting and expanding MAT.
    • Some clinics participating in the ECHO-F intervention have not succeeded in expanding MAT. For some of these clinics, ECHO sessions and additional supports are not enough to support them. Often this is because clinic leadership and/or providers have determined they cannot start MAT due to lack of clinic staff or other behavioral health supports. Therefore, do not fully engage in the facilitation support process.
  • Lack of Time and Clinic Leadership Support:
    • The most common barriers to joining ECHO-F are lack of time due to clinical demands and lack of clinic administrative support. Not supporting providers and staff to participate is also related to willingness to start or expand MAT services at the clinic.

Statistics

  • Early data show 10/20 (50%) clinics that joined the ECHO-F have expanded MAT services. 
  • Six clinics (30%) did not start MAT and the study team continues to attempt to provide them additional support. 
  • Four clinics (20%) dropped out of ECHO-F and did not provide any data on their MAT expansion.
  • Careful data collection with participating clinics has documented 228 new patients starting MAT services.

In the News

Accomplishments

  • Grantee continues to recruit new clinics into the ECHO-F.
  • MAT services are expanding and 228 new patients have been started on MAT.
  • The 12-session curriculum developed for the ECHO-F study is innovative and can help expand MAT nationally.
  • Grantee is preparing a manuscript detailing this curriculum. 

Conferences & Publications

Conference Date Location Type
National Association for Rural Mental Health August 26-29, 2019 Albuquerque, NM Oral Presentation
North American Primary Care Research Group November 16-20, 2019 Toronto, ON Oral Presentation
WONCA World Rural Health Conference October 12-15, 2019 Albuquerque, NM‎ Oral Presentation
Global Implementation Conference September 15-17, 2019 Glasgow, UK Oral Presentation

Oral Presentation Oral Presentation    Poster Poster