Impact of Sleep Telementorship in Primary Care: Sleep VA-ECHO (Veterans Affairs-Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes)

Brian N. Palen, Elizabeth A. Mattox, Ken He, Lauren A. Beste, Joleen Borgerding, Sarah Patel, David H. Au, Michael F. Chang and Elizabeth C. Parsons
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Brian N. Palen: Pulmonary and Critical Care Section, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
Elizabeth A. Mattox: Pulmonary and Critical Care Section, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
Ken He: Pulmonary and Critical Care Section, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
Lauren A. Beste: General Medicine Service, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
Joleen Borgerding: Health Services Research and Development Center for Innovation, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
Sarah Patel: Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
David H. Au: Pulmonary and Critical Care Section, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
Michael F. Chang: Gastroenterology and Hepatology Service, Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR 97239, USA
Elizabeth C. Parsons: Pulmonary and Critical Care Section, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 18, 1-9

Abstract: Sleep VA-ECHO (Veterans Affairs–Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a national telementorship program intended to improve knowledge about sleep disorders among non-specialty providers. The project goal was to describe the characteristics of Sleep VA-ECHO participants from primary care and their use of program-obtained knowledge in practice. Sleep VA-ECHO consisted of 10 voluntary, 75-min teleconference sessions combining didactics and case discussion. Out of 86 participants, 21 self-identified as primary care team members and completed a program evaluation. Participants self-reported their application of knowledge gained, including changes to practice as a result of program participation. These 21 participants represented 18 sites in 11 states and attended a median of 5.0 sessions. They included physicians (29%), nurse practitioners (24%), and registered nurses (24%). Nearly all participants (95%) reported using acquired knowledge to care for their own patients at least once a month; 67% shared knowledge with colleagues at least once a month. Eighty-five percent reported improved quality of sleep care for their patients, and 76% reported an expanded clinical skillset. The greatest self-reported change in practice occurred in patient education about sleep disorders (95%) and non-pharmacologic management of insomnia (81%).

Keywords: sleep disorders; primary care; education; mentorship; health professions education; professional development; virtual education; project ECHO (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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