Family-based treatment via videoconference: Clinical recommendations for treatment providers during COVID-19 and beyond.

 

Family-based treatment via videoconference: Clinical recommendations for treatment providers during COVID-19 and beyond. The necessity to employ distance-based methods to deliver on-going eating disorder care due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic represents a dramatic and urgent shift in treatment delivery. Yet, TeleHealth treatments for eating disorders in youth have not been adequately researched or rigorously tested. Based on clinical experience within our clinic and research programs, we aim to highlight the common challenges clinicians may encounter in providing family-based treatment (FBT) via TeleHealth for children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. We also discuss possible solutions and offer practical considerations for providers delivering FBT in this format. Additional research in TeleHealth treatment for eating disorders in youth may lead to improved access, efficiency, and effectiveness of FBT delivered via videoconferencing. Keywords: COVID-19; TeleHealth; adolescents; anorexia nervosa; bulimia nervosa; dissemination; eating disorders treatment; family-based treatment (FBT); implementation; videoconferencing. PMID: 32533799 PMCID: PMC7323318 DOI: 10.1002/eat.23326Int J Eat Disord . 2020 Jul;53(7):1142-1154. doi: 10.1002/eat.23326. Epub 2020 Jun 13. LINK TO THIS IMPORTANT FULL RESEARCH ARTICLE: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7323318/