P-322: Building a collaborative provincial community of practice: design and early outcomes of bc echo pediatric diabetes
C Silva, S Pinkney, D Billey, K D’Agosto, K Eby, C Maddigan, S Mele, Z Thawer, E Owonifaari, S AmedAbstract
Introduction
In British Columbia (BC), geographically-dispersed pediatric diabetes providers in small and remote centers have few opportunities for informal consultation and learning, impacting quality of care. A provincial social network analysis found a centralized structure with limited cross-regional ties.
Objectives
To describe the design and outcomes of a pilot to establish a provincial community of practice.
Methods
The BC ECHO Pediatric Diabetes pilot adapted Project ECHO®, a virtual “all teach, all learn” model. Priorities and educational gaps were identified through a province-wide needs assessment. A scientific committee with interprofessional representation designed and facilitated a series of monthly virtual sessions which combined case presentations and didactic teaching, discussing practical challenges and provincial resources. A survey assessed participants’ experience using Likert scales and open-ended questions.
Results
Attendees (99) included nurses, dietitians, physicians, psychologists, and social workers from across BC. Among 49 respondents, learning outcomes were high: 96% agreed hearing others’ approaches shaped their own perspective; 87.5% felt the benefit of learning from colleagues working in similar practice settings; 88% gained new knowledge (e.g. “the presentation about Indigenous families living with type 1…helped me to get a better perspective on family-centred care and how to work with different care providers”). After participating, 88% felt part of a provincial community, yet only 48% said it was now easier to reach out to colleagues for advice. The top-reported enabler of further strengthening connections was having more sessions over time (79%).
Conclusions
The pilot established BC ECHO Pediatric Diabetes as a high-engagement interprofessional network for collaboration across the province. The model has potential to strengthen professional networks, mobilize distributed expertise, and support geographically equitable access to high-quality, collaborative pediatric diabetes care.