This is an application for a biweekly (once every two weeks) virtual community of practice program which uses the ECHO model.

ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is an established platform that has been used at UHN and in other centers in Ontario to train healthcare providers in remote and underserved areas.

Building on our success of our first accredited cycle (10 Sept 2024 to 10 Sept 2025), we are now implementing the ECHO program for the second time to train clinical research professionals who administer clinical and other research studies.

Clinical research is complex and constantly evolving. Virtual communities of practice programs, like ECHO, allow professionals to share experiences, especially common problems, best practices and insights from diverse research environments, promoting learning and mutual mentoring across institutions and geographies.

Our ECHO for clinical research professionals is a flexible platform for ongoing education, ensuring professionals stay up-to-date with the latest advancements, methodologies, and regulatory changes.

As mentioned, collective problem-solving is a key feature distinguishing the ECHO community of practice from others. Clinical research professionals face unique challenges, and this ECHO provides a space to collectively problem-solve, seek advice, and brainstorm solutions with colleagues who may have faced similar issues.

The ECHO will be delivered according to the standardized educational rubric of the ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) model where we would be conducting a 1-hour virtual learning session, once a month on a pre-specified key area relating to research coordination/management led by Canadian field experts and participants would be encouraged to bring their problems/areas of concern for discussion.