President Obama has signed into law S. 2873, the Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes Act (ECHO Act), which is intended to use "distance health education" to improve health care, particularly in medically-underserved areas. Specifically, this program will test "technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models" – or the use of simultaneous interactive videoconferencing to connect specialists with other health care professionals for the purpose of case-based learning, disseminating best practices, and evaluating outcomes. The HHS Secretary is directed to examine the impact of such models on a variety of health disorders, workforce issues, public health program implementation, and the delivery of health care services in various rural and medically-underserved areas.
This article is presented for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.