Murray OB, Doyle M, McLeman BM, Marsch LA, Saunders EC, Cox KM, Watts D, Ryder J. Augmenting project ECHO for opioid use disorder with data-informed quality improvement. Addict Sci Clin Pract 18, 24 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13722-023-00381-2
Learning collaboratives can address barriers to medication for opioid use disorder availability by training clinic staff on best-practice performance data collection and quality improvement (QI). Project ECHO is an evidence-based method using teleconferencing to link experts with community-based providers to enhance opioid use disorder (OUD) care. This study examined the feasibility of training of 18 clinics in New Hampshire using an additional component, ECHO-AMPLIFI, to collect and review performance data and develop QI initiatives for best practice of OUD care. Feasibility was assessed descriptively through each clinic’s participation in training sessions, data collection, and QI initiatives. At the end of the project, clinic staff completed surveys on their perspectives of usability and acceptability of the project. Five of the 18 clinics joined the ECHO-AMPLIFI project for 8 months and met the minimum engagement requirements (completed at least one training session, at least one month of performance data, and at least one QI initiative). Results from staff surveys showed the training and data collection was useful. However, there were several problems identified with data collection, including lack of staff time and lack of standardization of documentation in electronic health records. Findings indicate that implementing performance data-informed QI as a supplement to Project ECHO has potential to inform best practices, but challenges to collecting consistent performance data must be addressed. Future assessments could provide further information on the utility of performance data in helping clinics.