Eating Disorders Toolkit: A practice-based guide to the inpatient management of adolescents with eating disorders, with special reference to regional and rural areas

Executive Summary: It is well recognised that early, timely and appropriate care will improve the likelihood of positive treatment outcomes for young people with an eating disorder. The high morbidity and mortality associated with eating disorders and the need for a multidisciplinary approach are well reported in the literature. The Eating Disorders Toolkit is a practice-based manual that aims to assist health professionals in applying best-practice principles in non-specialist inpatient settings in NSW. The Toolkit aims to assist with improving access to practical information, to facilitate consultation with specialist staff and to improve consistency in care for adolescents with eating disorders across NSW.

The Toolkit has been developed to provide practical information on key components of care for adolescents admitted with an eating disorder including: Involving the family and other health professionals, Accessing specialist assistance, Identifying those in need of admission, Admitting the patient, Assessment, Treatment planning, Implementing treatment (primarily medical, nutritional and psychological aspects), Discharge, and Accessing further information and support. The document has been developed with the busy clinician in mind, aiming to ensure easy access to relevant information. A clinician who is new to the management of eating disorders may find the Toolkit an invaluable resource of background information essential to the management of adolescents with an eating disorder.

The Toolkit has been designed to provide user friendly “pull out” sections that can be easily identified and accessed separately. The information described in the Toolkit has been developed from the evidence-based literature, international eating disorder clinical practice guidelines, consultation with national and international experts and the experiences of clinicians working with patients with eating disorders in non-specialist settings. Due to the limited evidence base and often, conflicting views regarding inpatient management, recommendations should be applied carefully to individual clinical and organisational circumstances and should be followed with care.

It is not the intention that this Toolkit acts as a stand-alone treatment manual as any management program must take into account the unique health care needs, and the context, of each individual patient and their family.