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Curriculum Overview

Paediatric Project ECHO is dedicated to the advancement of community healthcare. We aim to empower community healthcare professionals by providing evidence-based knowledge and resources integral to caring for paediatric patients with pain, obesity, medical complexity and palliative care needs.

ECHO is a proven healthcare education model associated with increases in knowledge and self-efficacy as well as positive practice-level impacts.

What to expect

ECHO sessions are interactive, experiential learning opportunities that include:

  • a quick 15-20 minute practical didactic presentation
  • a question and answer period and
  • a case discussion

Case Presentations

Over the last six years, ECHO has fostered an interdisciplinary community of practice that’s always eager to share their perspective and expertise. Each session, a community healthcare provider seeking recommendations presents a case to ECHO.

Case presentations often lead to rich discussion: from new medical interventions and strategies to communication techniques and resources.

Submit a case here.

Jump to:

Complex Care Obesity Management Pain Management Palliative Care

Complex Care

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  • Next Session

    January 23, 2025

    12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

    Enteral Tubes – Troubleshooting Skin Issues

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A child with medical complexity is defined as one who has complex chronic health conditions associated with significant functional status limitations requiring increased expertise, health services, and resources1.

Children with medical complexity:

  • Are more likely to require ICU admission than other paediatric populations2
  • Experience more “preventable” hospital admissions (e.g. inadequate care coordination)3
  • Stay in hospital eight times longer than other paediatric populations4
  • Are at higher risk of medical error5

This curriculum focuses on children with medical complexity and includes 12 one-hour sessions each offered monthly. Topics include but are not limited to:

  • Sialorrhea and Respiratory related complications
  • Feeding related issues
  • An Interdisciplinary Approach to Care
  • Other common co-morbidities/conditions (e.g. pain, neurogenic bladder, epilepsy, spasticity, hypotonia, etc)
  • Support & Resources for children with complexities and their families

Have a case or topic you’d like to request? Contact us!

Obesity Management

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    December 12, 2024

    12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

    The Coach Approach

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Obesity Management focuses on cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing, surgical considerations and family therapy. The overall goal is to support children  and their families to make healthy choices relating to nutrition, physical activity and overall health.

This curriculum includes 12 one-hour sessions each offered monthly. Topics include but are not limited to:

  • Nutrition & Physical activity
  • Management & Preventative Strategies
  • Common co-morbidities (e.g. diabetes, psychosocial, sleep disorders, dyslipidemia, etc.)
  • Patient & Family Supports (e.g. counselling, community resources, etc.)

Have a case or topic you’d like to request? Contact us!

Pain Management

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    January 10, 2025

    12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

    Somatic Symptoms

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Pain Management emphasizes the importance of a multimodal approach including physical, psychosocial, pharmacological and  other evidence-based strategies to support patients and their families manage paediatric acute and chronic pain.

This curriculum includes 24 one-hour sessions each offered weekly, from September 9th – March 31st. Topics include but are not limited to:

  • Chronic pain fundamentals (e.g. psychosocial and physical assessments and how to explain pain to children etc.)
  • Common pain conditions (e.g. headaches, abdominal pain, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, neuropathic pain and widespread pain etc.)
  • Acute pain (e.g. trauma patients, procedural pain, sickle cell pain etc.)
  • The 3P Approach to Managing Pain (e.g. build readiness, mind body techniques, physical treatments, cannabis, opioids and psychiatric pharmacology etc.)
  • Lifestyle: (e.g. diet, sleep and physical activity etc.)
  • Advanced Curriculum (a deeper dive into cannabis, opioids and psychiatric pharmacology)

Have a case or topics you’d like to request? Contact us!

Palliative Care

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    December 11, 2024

    11:15 am – 12:45 pm

    Depression & Anxiety

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Palliative Care focuses on strategies to enhance the quality of life of paediatric patients and their families while they face issues associated with life-threatening illnesses, through the prevention and relief of suffering.

This curriculum consists of twelve 90-minute sessions each offered monthly. Topics include but are not limited to:

  • Ethical considerations
  • Symptom management (e.g. nausea, vomiting, pain, dyspnea, etc.)
  • Talking to children about death
  • Importance of respite care
  • Resources & Supports for Children and their Families

Have a case discussion or topic request? Contact us.

Paediatric Project ECHO is funded by the Ministry of Health and is a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification program of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Thank you to our participants!

References

  1. Cohen E, et al., Patterns and costs of health care use of children with medical complexity. Pediatrics. 2012; 130(6):1463-1470.
  2. Srivastava R. Hospitalist care of the medically complex child. Pediatric Clinics. 2005; 52(4):1165-1187
  3. Dosa NP, Boeing NM, Kanter RK. Excess risk of severe acute illness in children with chronic health conditions. Pediatrics. 2001; 107(3):499-504.
  4. Newacheck PW, Strickland B, Shonkoff JP, et al. An epidemiologic profile of children with special health care needs. Pediatrics. 1998;102:117–23.
  5. Slonim AD, et al. Hospital-reported medical errors in children. Pediatrics. 2003; 111(3):617-621.