Medical Education Online (12/29/2022) Vol. 28, No. 1 Panjwani, Sonya; Porto, Ariel; Motz, Rosemary; et al.

Researchers evaluated participation in the Advanced Primary Care ECHO Adult Psychiatry Module for advancing mental health treatment skills among rural primary care providers (PCPs). Eighteen registrants surveyed before and after completing the module were included in the study. Thirteen of the participants were mainly medical providers, three were administrative staff and two held clinic leadership positions. Eleven providers that directly work with patients had less than five years' experience delivering psychiatric care in a primary care setting, and four had 6–30 years' experience. Post-hoc analysis showed that learners' knowledge outcome scores changed significantly from pre-module to post-module, with post-module self-efficacy scores much higher compared with baseline. Participants' skill levels also improved significantly from baseline to post-intervention, but their attitudes toward care provision did not substantially change. Learners most strongly concurred that they applied module-derived best practices to all their patients exhibiting psychiatric conditions in a primary care environment. They also agreed that their acquired knowledge encouraged new team-based care strategies in their practice. Based on the findings, the researchers suggest that "tailored [continuing education] for PCPs can promote an increase in knowledge, self-efficacy, and skills to apply best practices when treating patients with behavioral health conditions."

Read More