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all teach, all learn, all support

Transforming Medical Knowledge and Care Delivery in China

Through Innovative Collaboration

The ECHO Project in China is all about making healthcare better and improving the health of communities in China. It uses the Project ECHO model, a simple but clever idea where local doctors and healthcare workers connect with specialists through online sessions to accelerate the spread of best practices to the community. This way, delivery of care in the community is strengthened and patients can get the support they need right where they are. It’s building a network of shared practical knowledge that helps close the healthcare gap, so even the most remote communities can get the care they deserve.

ECHO-Chicago at the University of Chicago and the Tongji University School of Medicine are the heart of it all. Although they bring unique expertise and experiences, together they know how to teach and inspire local health workers. Their dedication to raising the quality of care at the community level is infectious, and their efforts are helping pave the way for healthier futures for people living in different areas of China.

Dr Daniel Johnson

ECHO-Chicago
at the University of Chicago

A shared commitment to improving health and education brings people around the world together. ECHO-Chicago is the third oldest ECHO program in the world.

Our knowledge and experience in implementing the ECHO model alongside TUSM’s long-standing work in strengthening community primary care has led to what we hope will be the first of many ECHO programs in China.

fact 1

China has the largest older adult population in the world. It is estimated that the percentage of China’s population over the age of 65 will double in just 26 years. In comparison, that same increase will take Sweden 85 year and France 115 years.

fact 2

This project started the first ECHO program in China, joining more than 7,000 ECHO series around the world.

fact 3

TUSM’s first ECHO series, focused on Geriatrics, trained 37 community doctors from 18 clinics. Over the course of 16 weeks participants discussed 30 patient cases.

fact 4

118 million people in China are known to be living with diabetes. This accounts for 22% of all people in the world known to be living with diabetes.

The ECHO project run by Tongji University School of Medicine is under the support of the CTF, with the aim of strengthening the training of general medicine and primary health care talents. By implementing the international project in China, we hope to improve the quality of community health services, make quality health services more equitable and accessible, and bring health protection to more people.

Dr. Jialin Zheng

Tongji University School of Medicine

meet the team

Top row: Patrick Gower, Data & Operations Manager; Sebastian Otero, Research Manager;
Daniel Johnson, Founder and Director

Middle row: Morgan Hamilton, Project Coordinator; Isa Rodriguez, Associate Director of Outreach; Dawn Croach, Business Administrator
Bottom row: Kanika Mittal, Director of Operations; Karen Lee, Executive Director and China Project Lead; Manuela Pia-Ortiz, Project Coordinator
Middle: Jialin Zheng, Dean, Tongji University School of Medicine
Left: Xiaoting Sun, Data & Operations and Research Manager; Xinxin Zhao, Project Coordinator, Executive Director and Director of Operations
Right: Jianjun Chen, Dean, School of Public Health, TUSM; Huixia Shen, Director, International Education & Cooperation

[ the echo in china map ]

Participants

Karen lee

Executive Director and China Project Lead, ECHO-Chicago

What impact has CTF support had on your work?

CTF has inspired us to dream big. CTF’s support provided the opportunity to establish the first ECHO program in China and is planting the seeds to cultivate and scale the ECHO model across China. As one of more than 40 ECHO Superhubs, since 2016 the ECHO-Chicago team has leveraged our years of ECHO experience to train and mentor others interested in starting their own ECHO programs. We have had the fortune of working with programs in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Uruguay, and Australia, to name a few.

What sets our China project apart, is that we are working with the Tongji University School of Medicine (TUSM) to design and implement an ECHO program to fit their needs in Shanghai, and building infrastructure and tools that will allow us to help other China organizations build their own ECHO programs. Within the larger ECHO movement, we’ve seen this type of scaling in other places like India, the UK, and Africa. With the partnership of CTF, TUSM, and others we are hopeful that we can plant these seeds and then let the garden continue to grow and flourish on its own.

What inspires you to give back?

Giving back is essential to being able to progress. A core principle of the ECHO model is “all teach, all learn,” to which our team at ECHO-Chicago has added “all support.” We instill this principle in the work we do, but we also drive our own performance. I find this principle akin to the Chinese proverb, “The Eight Immortals cross the sea, each reveals its divine powers.” It’s about all of us doing our part, but it’s also more than that. It’s about respecting the expertise and abilities of everyone around us, being open to learning from each other, and working together to navigate the challenges that come our way. I find that approaching work, and life more generally, in this way to be itself inspiring.

xinxin zhao

Director, Office of General Practice, Tongji University School of Medicine

What impact has CTF support had on your work?

General practitioners and community health centers play a vital role in China’s healthcare system. By providing primary medical services and disease prevention, they enhance the basic health care of residents, improve health management, and effectively triage patients to relieve pressure on hospitals and optimize the allocation of medical resources. The training and capacity building of general practitioners will promote the quality and efficiency of grassroots medical services, facilitate equitable and accessible healthcare, and support the strategic goal of “Healthy China 2030.” CTF provides training opportunities for general practitioners in primary healthcare institutions, enabling them to learn the latest evidence-based medical guidelines under expert guidance to inform their clinical practice.

What inspires you to give back?

To promote the localization of the ECHO project in China, we conducted a survey on the key challenges and difficulties faced by general practitioners in community health centers in Shanghai in their daily clinical practice.

Based on this survey, we proposed targeted course plans for the project. This research allows us to tailor our training more closely to the needs of the doctors. In addition, general practitioners can engage in real-time online discussions with experts, which is more beneficial to their clinical practice than simply listening to expert presentations in forums. Furthermore, communication between specialists and GPs provides a bridge for future referrals and mutual understanding of each other.

Would you like to know more about the Project?

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