Objective:
Report on the utilization of a multi-point videoconferencing platform, Extensions for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO), in providing a clinical learning opportunity to physical therapists (PTs) involved with people with bleeding disorders (PWBD) within Western States Region Hemophilia Treatment Centers (WSR HTC).
Methods:
WSR HTC includes thirteen HTC’s located in California, Nevada, Hawaii, and Guam. Monthly one-hour evidence based case presentations with a facilitated discussion were conducted using the ECHO platform. Each session was recorded, so all the therapists invited to participate have access to the information.
Data were collected from the WSR participating PTs by using anonymous on-line surveys, Qualtrics software (Qualtrics, Provo, UT), and prior to the start of the physical therapy ECHO session and upon completion of each session.
Descriptive statistics were calculated to evaluate the educational value of presentations.
Results:
Thirteen PTs, surveyed prior to the first PT ECHO session had reported > 6 years of experience as a PT. Twenty-three percent reported < 5 years of experience working with PWBD and over half of PT surveyed had > 16 years of experience working with PWBD.
Eight topics were presented in 2018 included musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging, invasive surgery rehab outcomes for patients with inhibitors, kinesiology taping, knee arthroplasty and stiffness, iliopsoas bleeding, myofascial decompression, chronic pain, knee bleed, and ankle joint impact from bleeding. An average of nine HTC PTs attended each session (range 4 to 18). Ten (11.2%) non-HTC PTs (outpatient PTs, HTC nurse, HTC Nurse Practitioner) attended some of the PT ECHO sessions. Table 1.
Ninety-five percent of respondents reported strong agreement with the program’s educational value and appropriateness for a practicing PT. Thirty-seven (94.9%) of responses reported agreement that the PT ECHO program improved their knowledge of physical therapy and bleeding disorders. Table 2.
Conclusion:
Videoconferencing platforms such as ECHO allows PTs in the WSR HTC, who are geographically separated to successfully share clinical knowledge to facilitate best practice in the area of specialty care for PWBD.
Please see files attached for tables and figures.