About BC ECHO on Substance Use

BC ECHO on Substance Use program supports primary care providers and their teams in BC and Yukon to enhance their competencies in the clinical management of substance use disorders and align their practice with the best available evidence in this field.

Hosted by the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU), BC ECHO on Substance Use builds on existing clinical partnerships to ensure optimal reach for knowledge dissemination, particularly in rural, remote, and Northern communities. BC ECHO on Substance Use is overseen by an interdisciplinary team of addiction experts representing different substance use organizations and partners across BC and Yukon.

BC ECHO on Substance Use is made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada and the GSPC, a partnership of the Government of BC and Doctors of BC. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada or the GPSC.

The program has three components: the Project ECHO series called the BC ECHO on Substance Use, the podcast series called Addiction Practice Pod, and our monthly newsletters.

Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a virtual healthcare education and mentoring model that uses videoconferencing and case-based learning to provide specialized guidance and training to primary care physicians, particularly those practicing in rural, remote, and under-served regions.

Through brief, case-based ECHO sessions, healthcare providers form connections, share best practices, enhance competencies, and develop a community of practice around a given complex chronic condition.

The objective of the Project ECHO model is to improve health outcomes for patients in remote and under-served communities by supporting primary care teams to deliver specialized care in their respective communities. The ECHO model has been successfully implemented internationally for a number of chronic and complex disorders, including substance use disorders.