Pilot assessment of a virtual intensive outpatient program for adults with eating disorders
Abstract
Access to evidence‐based treatment for eating disorders is severely limited by patient barriers and available clinician training. While clinical parameters often point to the need for a high level of care, patients may resist pursuing higher levels of care due to these barriers. One option that might mitigate such obstacles is the provision of a higher level of care via internet‐based treatment for eating disorders. We sought to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary clinical outcomes associated with treatment of eating disorders through virtual intensive outpatient programming (VIOP). Fifty‐seven patients meeting DSM‐5 criteria for an eating disorder participated in VIOP. Of the 57 patients in VIOP treatment, 3 did not complete voluntary measures at admission or discharge, and 9 additional patients did not complete voluntary measures at discharge. Overall, 45 VIOP patients completed admission and discharge assessments, including a net promoter score (NPS) question assessing patient acceptability. Recruitment, treatment adherence, and completion of assessments in VIOP were feasible and acceptable. VIOP patients showed significant and clinically meaningful improvements in all outcomes measured, including self‐reported eating disorder symptoms, depression, self‐esteem, quality of life, and overall satisfaction. VIOP appears feasible, acceptable, and evidences clinically meaningful changes in eating and mood disorder symptoms.
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The increased prevalence of eating disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic has placed services for children and adolescents under immense pressure.
“Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, rates of eating disorders among children and adolescents have increased [1, 2] and publicly funded services in the UK have come under immense pressure [3].”
From Can CBT-E be delivered in an online group format? A pilot study of the Body Image module in a child and adolescent eating disorder service (2023) · cites this paper as [2]
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- Authors
- Blalock, D. V., Le Grange, D., Johnson, C., Duffy, A., Manwaring, J., Tallent, C. N., Schneller, K., Solomon, A. M., Mehler, P. S., McClanahan, S. F., & Rienecke, R. D.
- Affiliations
- Duke University (US)
- Department of Psychiatry University of California San Francisco California USA
- Eating Recover Center and Insight Behavioral Health Centers Denver, Colorado USA
- Denver Health Medical Center (US)
- Northwestern University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Rienecke, Renee D.
- ORCID
- Venue
- European Eating Disorders Review
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2020-08-26
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 789-795
- ISSN
- 1072-4133 (ISSN-L)
- 1099-0968
- OpenAlex
- W3080196344
- Cited by
- 29
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3
- FWCI
- 1.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Eating Disorders Review (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Keywords
- eating disorders, online therapy, telemedicine, feasibility, acceptability, medication adherence, depression, self-esteem, quality of life, patient satisfaction, Net Promoter Score
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Feeding and Eating Disorders, Female, Humans, Outpatients, Pilot Projects, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires
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