Massive ECHO Session Firmly Anchored in Real-World Experiences

"Palliative care embraces life's delicate moments, honoring every story shared, every emotion felt, ensuring that love and meaning linger even as we prepare to let go."

—One of more than 100 videos sent to Pallium Canada in response to its question, 
"What does palliative care mean to you?"

The "world's largest" ECHO event hosted by Pallium Canada at the McGill International Palliative Care Congress logged 1,100 attendees, 878 of whom were online. The briskly paced 90-minute session featured panelists from Brazil, India, Kenya, Spain, UK, and the USA. 

The tone was set by the first presenter, caregiver Lesley Goodburn, who lost her husband Seth to pancreatic cancer just 33 days after diagnosis. She shared her story of this difficult time, made more so by the medical decisions made, with the hospital. When nothing changed, she wrote a day-by-day account of Seth's last days that has become a play, Homeward Bound.

"It was important to us to ensure that a caregiver's voice was prominently represented in our session," says Pallium Canada CEO Jeff Moat. "Her input and insights were instrumental in anchoring our discussions in the real-world experiences that shape the delivery and improvement of palliative care services."

The large number of participants "underscored the urgency of our mission, but also highlighted the incredible potential we have when we come together," he adds. "The unique insights shared by our panelists, coupled with thoughtful discussions from our audience, have the potential to drive real change in palliative care practices worldwide."

What was needed

The session was conceived to raise awareness among political leaders, funders, and the general public. It also aimed to increased awareness among health care professionals, promote best practices, and, ideally, strengthen palliative care provision. It required a Zoom license that accommodates a crowd. Pallium Canada also used the services of audio-visual experts to transition between in-person and online panelists, and interpreter services.

More than 100 online questions were received during the session. As they could not be answered in the time slot available, Pallium Canada is collecting answers from the panelists, and will post them on its website once received. Access a recording of the session, available in seven languages.

What is Project ECHO?

Project ECHO is an online learning format that has spread to 211 countries and areas, delivering 7,301 programs to 6.54 million people. It was conceived as a way to deliver information about best practices to underserved populations. Anyone can host a session. Participants present real cases to specialists for discussion and recommendations, and learn from each other. It is described as "knowledge tested and refined, through a local lens.

—Alison Ramsey, Pallinews editor

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