Missouri is reportedly the first U.S. State to commit public money to fund a telehealth project that uses videoconferencing to educate primary care providers.

Under the deal, some $1.5 million went to the Missouri Telehealth Network to create the Show-Me Extension for Community Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, offering training for specialized treatment in diabetes care, hepatitis C, dermatology, chronic pain management, autism and childhood asthma.

Based at the University of Missouri, the program connects providers around the state by video with a panel of experts, sourced from a growing number of healthcare providers.

The Project ECHO program was first developed at the University of New Mexico, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, with the goal of connecting clinicians in local communities with experts at “hub” sites for weekly teleECHO clinics. During these sessions, clinicians present patient cases to the specialists, determine treatments and discuss new developments.

Based at the University of Missouri, the program connects providers around the state by video with a panel of experts.Thus far, the program has been replicated around the country in some two dozen locations, from Hawaii to Massachusetts. However, according to BolivarMoNews.com, Missouri is the first state to commit appropriated funds for the program.

“By training primary care providers, we are not only increasing access but also the number of patients who will receive treatment,” said Karen Edison, MD, medical director of the Missouri Telehealth Network, director of the Center for Health Policy and chairperson of the MU School of Medicine’s Department of Dermatology. “This allows patients in rural areas to receive care without needing to leave their own community.”

[Via: mHealthNews]