Learning Collaborative: ECHO Diabetes
Diabetes-Endo ECHO Learning Collaborative: EDAN manages a network of 37 ECHO hubs with interest in implementing diabetes-related ECHO programming. The collaborative meets monthly with guest speakers and community best practice sharing, including an online repository of resources.
Diabetes-Endo ECHO Learning Collaborative
2nd Tuesday of the Month:
3-4 pm ET
2-3 pm CT | 1-2 pm MT | 2-1 pm PT | 11am-12pm AK | 9-10 am HI
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Why We Need More Diabetes-related ECHOs
The Project ECHO Model® is a proven tele-mentoring model that is designed to equip primary care professionals (PCPs) with specialty-level knowledge and improve patient outcomes.
Over 700 peer-reviewed articles validating the model. Evidence demonstrates that patients cared for by clinicians mentored using the ECHO methodology achieve outcomes comparable to—or in some cases better than— those treated at specialized referral centers.
The ECHO Model is especially relevant to diabetes care because the model was originally developed to address:
(1) Limited access to specialty care
(2) Suboptimal patient outcomes
(3) Variation in care delivery across communities
(4) Limited confidence among PCPs managing complex conditions
ECHO is a form of telehealth, but has more of an amplification effect compared to traditional telemedicine. During each session, participants present anonymized cases for multidisciplinary discussion and recommendations tailored to local practice settings. This continuous learning loop—combining mentorship, peer support, and practical application—extends impact well beyond a webinar or e-learning course.
The ECHO Model is scaling in the US and globally, but but diabetes-focused implementation has not kept pace with the growing burden of disease. Expanding diabetes-related ECHOs for primary care teams is essential to strengthen workforce capacity, expand specialty access, and improve outcomes—particularly in rural and medically underserved communities.
Since its inception in 2003, the ECHO model has expanded to more than 70 specialty areas through over 1,500 hubs worldwide, engaging more than 7 million participants. Historically, the most common applications have included hepatitis C, opioid use disorder, and COVID-19–related programming.
Although diabetes-related ECHO programming represented less than 1% of total programming in 2022, it is now a growing national priority. The ECHO Institute has identified diabetes as one of its top focus areas and is collaborating with EDAN to accelerate implementation and replication nationwide.