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ECHO MOLST + eMOLST, A “Telementoring” Approach to End-Of-Life Care Education, Returning for Fall 2021 Clinic Series |
Do you have questions about the MOLST process and form? Are you overwhelmed by the COVID-19 Delta variant and want to ensure your patient’s end-of-life preferences are honored? Are you a PA or NP wondering how recent legislative changes affect you? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, please consider attending ECHO MOLST + eMOLST. The ECHO MOLST + eMOLST clinic series kicks off on October 7, 2021. Weekly videoconferencing clinics are held via Zoom on Thursdays from 12:00 – 1:00pm ET. Interested in joining? Email Meg.Greco@Excellus.com.
ECHO, which stands for Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes, is an all-teach-all-learn telementoring model that uses case-based learning. Specialists and experts at a “hub” meet regularly with clinicians at “spokes” via videoconferencing to support in the delivery of specialty care services. The ECHO Model and virtual telementoring approach are particularly well-suited to a time when we need to be physically separated but the need for sharing knowledge and experience is higher than ever, particularly when it comes to end-of-life care. To learn more about the ECHO model and its history, watch this short video by Project ECHO’s founder, Dr. Arora and visit hsc.unm.edu/echo.
The aims of ECHO MOLST + eMOLST are to provide sustainable MOLST education and to improve the quality of thoughtful MOLST discussions and documentation to ensure patient preferences are honored. The goals of the clinic series have been updated to reflect the pandemic, as accurate documentation of these preferences is critical amidst the ever-changing situation with COVID-19.
Weekly hour-long clinics begin with brief introductions and a short 15-minute didactic presentation. This is followed by a 35 to 40-minute real patient case presentation given by a “spoke” using a Q&A and discussion format. Upon completion of the 9-week ECHO MOLST + eMOLST clinic series, attendees will:
• Use MOLST for appropriate patient populations
• Describe the difference between standard medical care, advance directives & MOLST
• Improve their comfort level with end-of-life conversations
• Describe the benefits of eMOLST vs. paper MOLST regarding quality & patient safety
• Possess a working knowledge of the eMOLST system – and much more!
Data collected using a pre-test, post-test method proves that ECHO MOLST + eMOLST works. Scores have consistently shown that through participation in a clinic series, attendees significantly increase their knowledge of the MOLST process, including identification of incompatible medical orders and understanding that MOLST is not an advance directive. Furthermore, attendees recognize the importance of their own advance care planning, with health care proxy completion rates among participants rising an average of 28 percent.
To date, ECHO MOLST + eMOLST has provided end-of-life education to over 1,000 participants from 125+ health care organizations across New York. This spread of knowledge is ensuring that patient preferences are honored and that the quality of end-of-life care New Yorkers receive is continually improving.
Don’t miss out on this important educational opportunity. For more information on ECHO MOLST + eMOLST, including objectives and who should attend, visit molst.org/training/echo or contact Meg.Greco@Excellus.com to enroll in the next ECHO MOLST + eMOLST clinic series today. 
AMA Designation Statement
Project ECHO® designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
ANCC Designation Statement
Project ECHO® designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 ANCC contact hours. Nursing contact hours will be awarded for successful completion of program components based upon documented attendance and completion of evaluation. 
Disclosure Statement
Project ECHO®, in compliance with the ACCME Standards of Commercial Support, requires that anyone who is in a position to control the content of an activity disclose all relevant financial relationships they have had within the last 12 months with a commercial interest related to the content of this activity.
The Planners and Presenters of this activity disclose that they have no financial relationships with any commercial interest. Patricia Bomba, MD, MACP, FRCP; Katie Orem, MPH; Meg Greco, MPA; Sara Butterfield, RN, BSN, CPHQ, CCM; Carolyn Kazdan, MHSA, NHA; Lynn Wilson, MSW, Christine Segel, RN, MSN, CPHQ and Fred Ratto, BA, CPH | 
The New York State Department of Health is releasing a revised MOLST Form in Fall 2021. This revision follows the multi-year NYSDOH RFI process which captured opportunities for improvement and clarification from relevant stakeholders, including patients and families. The revised MOLST will incorporate clinical edits gathered from its heavy use during COVID-19, along with feedback directly provided by physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, EMS, and other clinicians who use MOLST every day. At a high level, the RFI process revealed that many clinicians experience the current MOLST as complex and wordy, that emergent orders could be captured more simply, that clarification was needed in the respiratory support section, and that patients wanted to have a clearer “do not hospitalize” option. While the exact launch date of the 2021 MOLST is uncertain at this time, NYSDOH is working collaboratively with the MOLST Statewide Implementation Team and 
