Back to Search
Start Over
Using internet-based self-help to bridge waiting time for face-to-face outpatient treatment for Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder and related disorders: Study protocol of a randomized controlled trial
- Source :
- Internet Interventions, Vol 16, Iss, Pp 26-34 (2019), Internet Interventions
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Elsevier, 2019.
-
Abstract
- Background Eating disorders are serious conditions associated with an impaired health-related quality of life and increased healthcare utilization and costs. Despite the existence of evidence-based treatments, access to treatment is often delayed due to insufficient health care resources. Internet-based self-help interventions may have the potential to successfully bridge waiting time for face-to-face outpatient treatment and, thus, contribute to overcoming treatment gaps. However, little is known about the feasibility of implementing such interventions into routine healthcare. The aim of this study is to analyze the effects and feasibility of an Internet-based self-help intervention (everyBody Plus) specifically designed for patients with Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder and other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED) on a waiting list for outpatient face-to-face treatment. The aim of this paper is to describe the study protocol. Methods A multi-country randomized controlled trial will be conducted in Germany and the UK. N = 275 female patients awaiting outpatient treatment will be randomly allocated either to the guided online self-help intervention “everyBody Plus” or a waitlist control group condition without access to the intervention. everyBody Plus comprises eight weekly sessions that cover topics related to eating and exercise patterns, coping with negative emotions and stress as well as improving body image. Participants will receive weekly individualized feedback based on their self-monitoring and journal entries. Assessments will take place at baseline, post-intervention as well as at 6- and 12-months follow up. In addition, all participants will be asked to monitor core eating disorder symptoms weekly to provide data on the primary outcome. The primary outcome will be number of weeks after randomization until a patient achieves a clinically relevant improvement in core symptoms (BMI, binge eating, compensatory behaviors) for the first time. Secondary outcomes include frequency of core symptoms and eating disorder related attitudes and behaviors, as well as associated psychopathology. Additional secondary outcomes will be the participating therapists' confidence in treating eating disorders as well as perceived benefits of everyBody Plus for patients. Discussion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled trial examining the effects of Internet-based self-help for outpatients with eating disorders awaiting face-to-face outpatient treatment. If proven to be effective and successfully implemented, Internet-based self-help programs might be used as a first step of treatment within a stepped-care approach, thus reducing burden and cost for both patients and health care providers.<br />Highlights • Patients with eating disorders are often confronted with long and stressful waiting times. • Internet-based self-help interventions used as a first step of treatment may have the potential to overcome treatment gaps. • We will evaluate an Internet-based self-help intervention used to bridge waiting times in a randomized controlled trial. • We hope to reduce the time until a patient achieves a clinically relevant improvement in core symptoms for the first time.
- Subjects :
- 050103 clinical psychology
medicine.medical_specialty
lcsh:BF1-990
Psychological intervention
Health Informatics
Eating disorders, Internet-based interventions, Guided self-help, Bridging waiting time, Outpatients, Randomized controlled trial
Article
law.invention
03 medical and health sciences
Guided self-help
0302 clinical medicine
Randomized controlled trial
Binge-eating disorder
law
Outpatients
Health care
Essstörungen, internetbasierte Interventionen, Geführte Selbsthilfe, Wartezeiten überbrücken, ambulante Patienten, randomisierte kontrollierte Studie
medicine
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
030212 general & internal medicine
Binge eating
lcsh:T58.5-58.64
business.industry
Bulimia nervosa
lcsh:Information technology
05 social sciences
Bridging waiting time
Internet-based interventions
medicine.disease
3. Good health
Eating disorders
lcsh:Psychology
Physical therapy
ddc:300
medicine.symptom
business
Psychopathology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 22147829
- Volume :
- 16
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Internet Interventions
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....2409e01843c9d2c4b11b27ca90a4ef92