ECHO Care is a complex care intervention pilot that integrated the Project ECHO model, which links primary care practitioners virtually with specialists, with outpatient intensivist teams (OITs) in New Mexico. Under the ECHO Care pilot, 770 high-need, high-cost Medicaid patients received medical, behavioral, and social care from six OITs comprised of nurse practitioners or physician assistants, registered nurses, licensed mental health providers, and community health workers. During weekly videoconferences, the OITs received expert advice from specialists on complex topics using case-based mentoring.
The study found that 12 months after enrolling in ECHO Care, patients were 50 percent less likely to have an inpatient admission or emergency department visit compared to pre-enrollment. Conversely, patient use of outpatient care increased by 23 percent and prescriptions increased by eight percent. This improvement in health care utilization indicates access to more effective care and higher levels of communication and trust between patients and their care teams.