(028) Caring, Compassion and Connection: Supporting Frontline and Community Based Healthcare Professionals through ECHO Coping with COVID-19 Canada

Abstract: Background

Literature has shown that healthcare professionals (HCPs) have experienced significant anxiety, uncertainty, and distress due to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic (Luo et al. 2020). Initial programs and interventions have emerged to support healthcare providers early in the pandemic with reducing distress, burnout, and negative impacts of social isolation. Psychiatrists, including C-L psychiatrists, have utilized virtual education, resources and capacity building programs as innovative solutions to address HCPs needs, while facilitating a sense of community and supporting self-care at a distance (Sheehan et al. 2022). We present outcomes of Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes-Coping with COVID-19 (ECHO-CWC), a virtual national educational program developed to support HCPs during the COVID-19 pandemic.



Methods

Rapidly implemented within weeks of the onset of the pandemic, ECHO-CWC provided weekly sessions supporting HCPs with mindfulness practice, COVID-19 knowledge and resource updates, didactics on self-care and mental well-being, discussions on HCPs experiences with coping with COVID-19 distress, and an arts-based therapeutic segment. ECHO-CWC expert team coordinating the program and supporting attendees consisted of psychiatrists (including consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatrists), internists, infectious disease specialists, nurses and primary care physicians. The overall goal of the program is to promote resilience and wellbeing, while reducing feelings of isolation and distress.



To evaluate the impact of ECHO-CWC, data was collected on attendance, weekly satisfaction, and participant’s perceptions of COVID-19 risks and self-efficacy in managing mental health during COVID-19, assessed pre, mid, and post program. Additionally, open text feedback was collected on questions of learning and satisfaction.



Results:

A total of 1053 interdisciplinary HCPs from 442 organizations from 9 provinces/territories across Canada have registered for ECHO-CWC. Mean participant satisfaction ratings demonstrate participants are highly satisfied (4.5/5). Participant self-efficacy scores increased significantly from Pre (M=72.34) to Mid (M=78.37; N=42,p=.018) and from Mid (M=77.61) to Post (M=81.71; N=14, p=.050). Participants’ ratings of perceived risk related to COVID-19 decreased from Pre (M=2.91) to Post (M=2.48; p< .001). Analysis of open text responses showed recognizing signs of burnout and prioritizing self-care as common takeaways.



Discussion:

The results of our evaluation of ECHO-CWC provide further evidence the value of the ECHO model during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, this is a unique use of ECHO to support self-care, mental health and well-being of HCPs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The self-efficacy findings are in line with results from other ECHO programs and demonstrate the effectiveness of ECHO at increasing confidence with core competencies related to managing mental health and burnout. High participant engagement, satisfaction and improvements in self-efficacy as a result of ECHO-CWC suggests that this initiative can be a beneficial model for C-L psychiatrists to consider when addressing the needs of frontline HCPs during this and future pandemics.