I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5395 

To require studies and reports examining the use of, and opportunities to 

use, technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models to improve programs of the Department of Health and Human 

Services, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 7, 2016 

Mr. BURGESS (for himself and Ms. MATSUI) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To require studies and reports examining the use of, and 

opportunities to use, technology-enabled collaborative 

learning and capacity building models to improve programs of the Department of Health and Human Services, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Expanding Capacity 

5 for Health Outcomes Act’’ or the ‘‘ECHO Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 


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1 (1) HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE

2 AREA.—The term ‘‘health professional shortage 

3 area’’ means a health professional shortage area des4 ignated under section 332 of the Public Health Serv5 ice Act (42 U.S.C. 254e). 

6 (2) MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREA.—The 

7 term ‘‘medically underserved area’’ has the meaning 

8 given the term ‘‘medically underserved community’’ 

9 in section 799B of the Public Health Service Act 

10 (42 U.S.C. 295p). 

11 (3) MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED POPULATION.— 

12 The term ‘‘medically underserved population’’ has 

13 the meaning given the term in section 330(b) of the 

14 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(b)). 

15 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

16 the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

17 (5) TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED COLLABORATIVE

18 LEARNING AND CAPACITY BUILDING MODEL.—The 

19 term ‘‘technology-enabled collaborative learning and 

20 capacity building model’’ means a distance health 

21 education model that connects specialists with mul22 tiple primary care providers through simultaneous 

23 interactive videoconferencing for the purpose of fa24 cilitating case-based learning, disseminating best 

25 practices, and evaluating outcomes. 


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1 SEC. 3. STUDIES AND REPORTS ON TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED 

2 COLLABORATIVE LEARNING AND CAPACITY 

3 BUILDING MODELS. 

4 (a) PRIORITIZATION.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in collabora6 tion with the Administrator of the Health Resources 

7 and Services Administration, shall examine tech8 nology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity 

9 building models and the ability of such models to im10 prove patient care and provider education. 

11 (2) CONSIDERATIONS.—The examination re12 quired under paragraph (1) shall include an exam13 ination of the ability of technology-enabled collabo14 rative learning and capacity building models to ad15 dress each of the following: 

16 (A) Mental health and substance use dis17 orders, including prescription drug and opioid 

18 abuse. 

19 (B) Chronic care for patients of all ages, 

20 including children, with chronic diseases. 

21 (C) Complex care or care for the sickest 

22 and most vulnerable patients, including pedi23 atric patients. 

24 (D) Primary care workforce recruitment, 

25 retention, and support for life-long learning. 

26 (E) Specialty care shortages. 


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1 (F) Public health programs, including dis2 ease prevention, outbreaks, and surveillance. 

3 (G) Implementation of disease prevention 

4 guidelines. 

5 (H) Health care in rural areas, frontier 

6 areas, health professional shortage areas, medi7 cally underserved populations, and medically 

8 underserved areas. 

9 (I) Advanced care planning and palliative 

10 care. 

11 (J) Trauma-informed care. 

12 (K) Pregnancy care and maternal health. 

13 (L) Other health conditions and health 

14 workforce issues that the Secretary determines 

15 appropriate. 

16 (3) CONSULTATION.—In the examination of 

17 technology-enabled collaborative learning and capac18 ity building models required under paragraph (1), 

19 the Secretary, in collaboration with the Adminis20 trator of the Health Resources and Services Admin21 istration, shall consult public and private stake22 holders with expertise using such models in health 

23 care settings. 

24 (4) FEDERAL STUDY.—Not later than 2 years 

25 after the date of enactment of this Act, the SecVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:58 Jun 08, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5395.IH H5395

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1 retary, in collaboration with the Administrator of the 

2 Health Resources and Services Administration, shall 

3 publish a study based on the examination of tech4 nology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity 

5 building models required under paragraph (1). Such 

6 study shall include an analysis of each of the fol7 lowing: 

8 (A) The use and integration of such mod9 els by health providers. 

10 (B) The impact of such models on health 

11 provider retention and health provider short12 ages in the States in which such models have 

13 been adopted. 

14 (C) Recommendations regarding the role of 

15 such models in continuing medical education 

16 and lifelong learning, including the role of aca17 demic medical centers, provider organizations, 

18 and community providers in such training. 

19 (D) The barriers to adoption by primary 

20 care providers and academic medical centers. 

21 (E) The impact of such models on the abil22 ity of local health providers and specialists to 

23 perform at the top of their licensure, including 

24 the effects on patient wait times for specialty 

25 care. 


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1 (b) GAO STUDY.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

3 the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 

4 General of the United States shall prepare and pub5 lish a report on technology-enabled collaborative 

6 learning and capacity building models. Such report 

7 shall analyze each of the following: 

8 (A) The use and integration of such mod9 els by health providers across the States. 

10 (B) How the Secretary has supported the 

11 use of such models through programs of the 

12 Department of Health and Human Services. 

13 (C) The impact of such models on health 

14 care, including the impact on patient quality of 

15 care and patient access to care, in the States in 

16 which such models have been adopted. 

17 (D) The reasons for successful State and 

18 community adoption of such models. 

19 (E) The barriers for States and commu20 nities to adopt such models. 

21 (F) Efficiencies and potential cost savings 

22 from such models. 

23 (G) How Federal, State, and local govern24 ments are funding such models, if at all. 


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1 (H) Opportunities for increased adoption 

2 of such models in agencies of the Department 

3 of Health and Human Services, including the 

4 integration of such models into existing pro5 grams. 

6 (2) CONSIDERATIONS.—The analysis conducted 

7 through the report under paragraph (1) shall con8 sider the ability of technology-enabled collaborative 

9 learning and capacity building models to address 

10 each of the following: 

11 (A) Mental health and substance use dis12 orders, including prescription drug and opioid 

13 abuse. 

14 (B) Chronic care for patients of all ages, 

15 including children, with chronic diseases. 

16 (C) Complex care or care for the sickest 

17 and most vulnerable patients, including pedi18 atric patients. 

19 (D) Primary care workforce recruitment, 

20 retention, and support for life-long learning. 

21 (E) Specialty care shortages. 

22 (F) Public health programs, including dis23 ease prevention, outbreaks, and surveillance. 

24 (G) Implementation of disease prevention 

25 guidelines. 


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1 (H) Health care in rural areas, frontier 

2 areas, health professional shortage areas, medi3 cally underserved populations, and medically 

4 underserved areas. 

5 (I) Advanced care planning and palliative 

6 care. 

7 (J) Trauma-informed care. 

8 (K) Pregnancy care and maternal health. 

9 (c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 18 

10 months after the publication of the report conducted by 

11 the Comptroller General of the United States under sub12 section (b), the Secretary shall submit a report to Con13 gress addressing each of the following: 

14 (1) How the findings from the report published 

15 under subsection (b) have been addressed. 

16 (2) Recommendations to Congress based on the 

17 findings of the study published under subsection 

18 (a)(4). 

19 (3) A complete listing of technology-enabled col20 laborative learning and capacity building models that 

21 have been funded by the Department of Health and 

22 Human Services. 

23 (4) A toolkit regarding best practices for imple24 menting such models in the States. 

Æ 


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