New Mexico rural telemedicine program lowers costs

Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) uses telemedicine technology and care-based learning, enabling specialists at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center in Albuquerque to partner with primary care clinicians in underserved areas to deliver specialty care to patients with chronic diseases, according to a case study presented in the journal Health Affairs.The program has reduced costs for physicians and patients. After training, primary care physicians and specialists meet for weekly 2-hour telemedicine clinics. The clinics, lead by specialists, serve to review and discuss the rural patients' needs with the primary care provider teams.