A regional healthcare provider network disseminated Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) telementoring sessions focused on the management of pediatric and adult sickle cell disease (SCD) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The eight-state Sickle Treatment and Outcome Research in the Midwest (STORM) network is a Health Resources and Services Administration-funded Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Project. The COVID-19 and SCD Project ECHO featured a rapidly evolving curriculum of modern topics and case presentations. Topics ranged from COVID-19-specific management for children and adults with SCD to approaches for adapting care and communication during the pandemic. Participants were offered credits for continuing medical education, nursing continuing education, and American Board of Pediatrics and American Board of Internal Medicine Maintenance of Certification. Most of the participants were physicians (39%), registered nurses (13%) and nurse practitioners (8%). More than 91% said the sessions substantially increased their evidence-based knowledge of COVID-19. "Project ECHO is a successful educational strategy to diffuse knowledge using a virtual platform during a public health emergency, by facilitating shared learning among a community of practice that specializes in the management of sickle cell disease," the authors concluded.
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