The adult population is growing dramatically, as is the number of individuals with mental illness, dementia, and other serious illnesses. These disorders represent significant public health challenges through impaired quality of life, significant morbidity and mortality, and increased health care utilization and costs. But at present, access to specialists is limited, and most late life specialty care is provided by primary care and long-term care providers too often inadequately prepared for the role. Patients and families therefore struggle, as critical medical and support needs invariably go unrecognized and unmet. New data streams and technological advances provide caregivers with unprecedented insight into behaviors and disease, while increasing access to specialty care. During his PhD dissertation work, Dr. Hasselberg was successful in utilizing innovative physiological sensors to measure and improve understanding of circadian biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease. While his early work as faculty was in the field of applying technology to provide community-based clinicians with skills and knowledge to treat complex patients within their own practices, the Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO®) aims to improve health outcomes while also improving the health care experience of patients and families (who prefer to receive care in the communities where they live, from providers they know and trust) and reducing the cost of care through a shared knowledge, multidisciplinary team-based approach. Dr. Hasselberg leads Project ECHO® at UR Medicine, which is the first ECHO® in New York State. The primary objective has been the establishment and demonstration of TeleECHO® clinics connecting "hub" UR Medicine specialists (an interdisciplinary team consisting of psychiatry, geriatrics, nursing, social work, psychology, and pharmacy) with "satellite" PC practice sites across NYS using videoconferencing technology. To date ECHO® has partnered with satellite sites (skilled nursing facilities, independent medical practices, health systems, accountable care organizations, federally qualified health centers, rural health networks, and county agencies) serving adults across New York State. To increase direct behavioral health care to patients, Dr. Hasselberg has leveraged technology to develop the first telemedicine program within the University of Rochester, Department of Psychiatry. He has now partnered to computer and data science experts within in the UR Medicine Health Lab to develop a computerized, mobile app-based, cognitive behavioral therapy platform.
