Mission
The mission is to expand the capacity to provide best practice care for Addiction mental health among health care professionals and assess the outcome in India. This is conducted through weekly multipoint video conference and online training which is accessible through all devices and without any burden to the participants. The objective is to develop a learning loop and a knowledge network which will create a deep knowledge, skills and self-efficacy. This will reduce the variations in standard of care, sharing of clinical wisdom along with practice guidelines and sharing of "best practices" models.
“Virtual” Knowledge Network NIMHANS ECHO (VKN NIMHANS ECHO)
A cost effective innovation and free interactive online skill building activity in the area of Addiction & Mental Health…..
The treatment gap in mental health and specially in addiction is huge in our country. Virtual Knolwedge Network (VKN) NIMHANS is running weekly online NIMHANS ECHO sessions to bridge the gap. The Project ECHO, US is the intellectual partner of this initiative. The heart of this NIMHANS ECHO model is its hub-and-spoke knowledge-sharing networks, led by expert teams who use multi-point videoconferencing to conduct virtual clinics with community health care providers (doctors and others). In this way, doctors, nurses, and other clinicians learn to provide excellent specialty care to patients in their own communities.
The ongoing weekly VKN NIMHANS ECHO teleHealth session consists of components of both case based learning i.e. Case presentation and Didactic sessions by experts. In this weekly training, the aim is to develop a learning loop and a knowledge-sharing network which will create in-depth knowledge, skills and self-efficacy among health care practitioners. This guided practice help to decrease in disparity in the standard of treatment care in our country. The partner health professionals also present clinical case and seek clarifications regarding standard managment. The learning happens both from the NIMHANS team as well from their own peers. This live (Synchronous) session are integrated with an e-learning module certification for participants.
At this point there are 700 health care professionals including medical colleges have partnered to this free of cost knowledge sharing platform. approximately 15 classrooms and 50 individual health professionals participate in this weekly LIVE videoconference (synchronous) based sessions. In last year 520 participated for this weekly programe and 300 received certificate for completion of the e-learning (asynchronous) module. vlc.nimhans.ac.in
In collaboration with Project ECHO, University of New Mexico, USA
Supported by Virtual Learning Centre, Centre for Addiction Medicine, Natinonal Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS),Bangalore and Ministry of Health and Family welfare, New Delhi.
Intellectual Collaboration between Project ECHO (Extension of Community Health care Outcome). University of New Mexico Health Care centre, (UNM) US
