Columbia-based University of Missouri officials will expand its ECHO Autism program across the United States and as far as Kenya.
The university launched the clinician-to-clinician telehealth program in March 2015 to help train primary care providers to diagnose and manage autism spectrum disorders. ECHO Autism connects participating primary care clinics with a panel of autism experts through secure video conferencing technology.
The program is a partnership between MU Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, MU Health and the Missouri Telehealth Network Show-Me ECHO program.
Kristin Sohl, MD, associate professor of child health, serves as the program's director. She plans to expand the program to Alabama, Alaska and select Navajo communities in Arizona and New Mexico, along with a new partner site in Kenya.
"Since the initial studies of ECHO Autism, nearly 250 health providers have received training on best-practice care," Dr. Sohl said. "The program effectively increases the capacity for healthcare in underserved communities, which means that families can get the answers they need without traveling or waiting to see a specialist."