TY - JOUR
AU - M. R. Heerema
AU - A. S. Ventura
AU - S. C. Blakemore
AU - I. D. Montoya
AU - D. E. Gobel
AU - M. V. Kiang
AU - C. T. LaBelle
AU - A. R. Bazzi
A1 - 
AB - INTRODUCTION: Reducing substance-related morbidity requires an educated and well-supported workforce. The New England Office Based Addiction Treatment Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (NE OBAT ECHO) began in 2019 to support community-based addiction care teams through virtual mentoring and case-based learning. We sought to characterize the program's impact on the knowledge and attitudes of NE OBAT ECHO participants. METHODS: We conducted an 18-month prospective evaluation of the NE OBAT ECHO. Participants registered for 1 of 2 successive ECHO clinics. Each 5-month clinic included ten 1.5-hour sessions involving brief didactic lectures and de-identified patient case presentations. Participants completed surveys at Month-0, -6, -12, and -18 to assess attitudes about working with patients who use drugs and evidence based practices (EBPs), stigma toward people who use drugs, and addiction treatment knowledge. We compared outcomes using 2 approaches: (i) between-groups, which involved comparing the first intervention group to the delayed intervention (comparison) group, and (ii) within-groups, which involved comparing outcomes at different time points for all participants. In the within-group approach, each participant acted as their own control. RESULTS: Seventy-six health professionals participated in the NE OBAT ECHO, representing various roles in addiction care teams. Approximately half (47% [36/76]) practiced primary care, internal, or family medicine. The first intervention group reported improved job satisfaction and openness toward EBPs compared to the delayed intervention group. Within-group analyses revealed that ECHO participation was associated with increased positive perceptions of role adequacy, support, legitimacy, and satisfaction 6 months following program completion. No changes were identified in willingness to adopt EBPs or treatment knowledge. Stigma toward people who use drugs was persistent in both groups across time points. CONCLUSIONS: NE OBAT ECHO may have improved participants' confidence and satisfaction providing addiction care. ECHO is likely an effective educational tool for expanding the capacity of the addiction workforce.
AD - General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.; Grayken Center for Addiction Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.; Division of Health Services Research and Policy, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.; Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.; Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.; Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.; Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
AN - 37287240
BT - Subst Abus
C5 - Opioids & Substance Use; Education & Workforce
CP - 3
DA - Jul
DO - 10.1177/08897077231179601
DP - NLM
ET - 20230607
IS - 3
JF - Subst Abus
LA - eng
N2 - INTRODUCTION: Reducing substance-related morbidity requires an educated and well-supported workforce. The New England Office Based Addiction Treatment Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (NE OBAT ECHO) began in 2019 to support community-based addiction care teams through virtual mentoring and case-based learning. We sought to characterize the program's impact on the knowledge and attitudes of NE OBAT ECHO participants. METHODS: We conducted an 18-month prospective evaluation of the NE OBAT ECHO. Participants registered for 1 of 2 successive ECHO clinics. Each 5-month clinic included ten 1.5-hour sessions involving brief didactic lectures and de-identified patient case presentations. Participants completed surveys at Month-0, -6, -12, and -18 to assess attitudes about working with patients who use drugs and evidence based practices (EBPs), stigma toward people who use drugs, and addiction treatment knowledge. We compared outcomes using 2 approaches: (i) between-groups, which involved comparing the first intervention group to the delayed intervention (comparison) group, and (ii) within-groups, which involved comparing outcomes at different time points for all participants. In the within-group approach, each participant acted as their own control. RESULTS: Seventy-six health professionals participated in the NE OBAT ECHO, representing various roles in addiction care teams. Approximately half (47% [36/76]) practiced primary care, internal, or family medicine. The first intervention group reported improved job satisfaction and openness toward EBPs compared to the delayed intervention group. Within-group analyses revealed that ECHO participation was associated with increased positive perceptions of role adequacy, support, legitimacy, and satisfaction 6 months following program completion. No changes were identified in willingness to adopt EBPs or treatment knowledge. Stigma toward people who use drugs was persistent in both groups across time points. CONCLUSIONS: NE OBAT ECHO may have improved participants' confidence and satisfaction providing addiction care. ECHO is likely an effective educational tool for expanding the capacity of the addiction workforce.
PY - 2023
SN - 0889-7077 (Print); 0889-7077
SP - 164
EP - 176+
ST - Evaluation of the New England Office Based Addiction Treatment ECHO: A Tool for Strengthening the Addiction Workforce
T1 - Evaluation of the New England Office Based Addiction Treatment ECHO: A Tool for Strengthening the Addiction Workforce
T2 - Subst Abus
TI - Evaluation of the New England Office Based Addiction Treatment ECHO: A Tool for Strengthening the Addiction Workforce
U1 - Opioids & Substance Use; Education & Workforce
U3 - 10.1177/08897077231179601
VL - 44
VO - 0889-7077 (Print); 0889-7077
Y1 - 2023
ER -