Common to Complex - Hypertension: Overview

Hypertension in children and adolescents is a growing health problem. Common to Complex: Project ECHO Cohort on Hypertension in Children and Adolescents provides an efficient way to learn what you need to know and practice how to do it. The goal is to improve the primary care provider’s comfort when managing treatment of hypertension and provide a network of resources to ensure patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time. This course will provide in depth discussion of current Clinical Practice Guidelines (2017) on management of blood pressure in children. In addition to the practice guidelines, we will be offering education on proper blood pressure measurement and nutrition. This activity is designed for physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants who care for children with hypertension in a primary care setting.

How to Participate?
     • Registration is open! Click the button above. If you have any questions, please reach out to c2c@cchmc.org.
     • Participate via video-conference
     • We will use a web-based video platform (Zoom) to conduct sessions. There is no cost to participants for this platform.
     • Practices will be limited to one participant per cohort.
     • Cohorts will be limited to approximately 20-25 participants.
     • Participants must be able to participate in at least 80% of sessions and submit at least 1 case for discussion.
     • Participants must complete a short (10-min) pre & post activity assessment. (Prior to Session 1 and after Session 8)
     • Session Dates:
          • November 20
          • December 4
          • December 18
          • January 8
          • January 22
          • February 12
          • February 26
          • March 11

Why should I participate?
Community Primary Care Providers (PCP) can access pediatric specialists for professional collaboration through regular teleECHO sessions, which are like an interactive grand round presentation. During a session, the specialist will present a brief didactic.  PCPs present cases to the specialist team and other PCPs to receive feedback on case. A key component is that information sharing is also possible between PCPs and the specialist team.  

Benefits for Participating Clinicians:
     • Participate from the convenience of your office or home
     • Face-to-face networking and collaboration with colleagues
     • 1-hour webinar sessions led by sub-specialist
     • Receive expert opinions on cases

Who is the Faculty?
Mark Mitsnefes, MD, MS is a pediatric nephrologist and co-director of multidisciplinary hypertension clinic at Cincinnati Children's. He is an established clinical investigator with expertise in understanding the development of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in children.

What is “Common to Complex”?
“From Common to Complex: Utilizing Telehealth to Connect Primary Care Providers to Pediatric Specialists” is a project to look at using technology and case-based learning to improve knowledge, self-efficacy and have a positive impact on care. Cincinnati Children’s will use the Project ECHO methodology to offer telehealth based learning for primary care providers over a 4-6-month period.  Project ECHO, Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes, is a virtual learning network method that enables information sharing regarding care, best practices and access for specialty care in all areas, especially rural or underserved areas.

How Project ECHO Works
Project ECHO – Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes – is an innovative healthcare program developed to treat chronic and complex conditions in underserved areas. Through the use of technology, Project ECHO bridges the gap between healthcare specialists and community-based clinicians. The Project ECHO model is based on four principles:
     • Use technology to leverage scarce resources
     • Share “best practices” to reduce disparities
     • Apply case-based learning to master complexity
     • Evaluate and monitor outcomes

During Project ECHO clinics, healthcare clinicians present cases using a case-based format either by telephone or video conferencing equipment. Project ECHO specialist and other participants discuss patient cases and recommendations are made regarding a treatment plan.  Specialists and community clinicians hear various case presentations, as well as follow-up and outcomes, and over time greatly increase their knowledge and experience in the evaluation and treatment of depression.  

What Clinicians and Partners say about Project ECHO:
     • “I feel more confident and it makes providing care easier. This project allows for increased opportunities to learn, and patients to get better care.”
     • “Project ECHO connects me to a research community. The teleECHO clinics are the highlight of the week. Professional learning opportunities have expanded."

Information about Project ECHO
Project ECHO Overview Video
Project ECHO Infographic

In support of improving patient care, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. Specific accreditation information will be provided for each activity.

CME: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Nursing: This activity is approved for continuing nursing education (CNE) contact hours.

APB MOC Part 2: Successful completion of this CME activity enables the participant to earn MOC Part 2 points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABP MOC credit.

IPCE: This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.

For More Information about Common to Complex:
Center for Telehealth
513-803-8353
  c2c@cchmc.org

Mark Mitsnefes, MD, MS
Director, Clinical and Translational Research Center
Pediatric Nephrologist, Division of Nephrology
Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

Debbie Parrott, RNIII, BSN, CPN

Delaney Elam, RDN