News
New GP pathway to improve management of eating disorders
With patients facing unmet need for appropriate care, Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician criteria has been expanded to include GPs.
GPs can now upskill in assessment and management of eating disorders by becoming a Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician.
GPs play an important role in assessing and managing patients with eating disorders.
However, both GPs and lived experience patients say barriers are still hindering identification of the often complex conditions.
A recent newsGP poll revealed that 57% of GP respondents need more support in this area, including evidence-based training, while 26% reported feeling ‘not at all’ equipped to support patients presenting with eating disorders.
To help address these ongoing barriers, the Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED), in collaboration with the Department of Health and Aged Care, has expanded its Eating Disorder Credential to include GPs.
Initial funding for the June 2022 launch of ANZAED’s online connect·ed directory was restricted to credentialed dietitians and mental health professionals who met the minimum standards to provide safe and effective eating disorder treatment.
Now GPs are also included in these criteria so patients can locate and access a GP who meets the minimum standards to provide safe and effective eating disorder care.
A formal recognition of qualifications, knowledge, training, and professional development activities, the new GP Credential provides a learning pathway for GPs and focuses on early identification and initial response, designed to meet the need for more effective screening, assessment, diagnosis and referral of patients with eating disorders in Australia.
ANZAED CEO Jade Gooding said the newly expanded credential is ‘a vital step’ in transforming the management of eating disorders in primary care.
‘It arms GPs with essential knowledge for early detection and intervention in eating disorders, aligning with the National Eating Disorder Collaboration’s Stepped System of Care,’ she said.
‘This initiative is pivotal for enhancing patient care at the most crucial stages.’
A common issue cited among eating disorder lived experience advocates is the misconception from GPs that their patient is ‘not sick enough’ and has to prove the seriousness of their condition in order to receive appropriate support.
Chloe Quinlivan is one of those patients, and reflects on her experience.
‘Before going to the first GP, I didn’t think I was sick – I was going to prove to my mum that I was actually fine, and my GP reinforced just that,’ she said.
‘When I was [really] sick and presenting with medical consequences and concerns it still wasn’t picked up on and it was hard to get taken seriously.
‘You rely on your GP or health professional to read between the lines and follow up a little more … [but] it gave me silent permission to keep going with what I was doing; to be more disordered and go further into exploring the eating disorder world.
‘After a few appointments with GPs I was thinking, “What do I have to do to be sick enough?”.
‘I wish someone had said to me from the very start, “What you’re exhibiting here are some behaviours we see commonly in eating disorder patients” and connected the dots for me.
‘You shouldn’t have to wait until you’re medically compromised to be unwell enough to get help.’
Recently published Australian research underlines the need for further GP training in this space, with the lived experience study participants citing various challenges in obtaining support, but ranking continuity of care as important.
‘Participants favoured highly collaborative treatment from a team including a mental health professional, dietitian, and GP at a minimum, where the team engaged in high-quality communication and fostered autonomy with limit-setting,’ the authors wrote, but ‘systemic failures negatively affecting team treatment were reported across the care continuum’.
Lead author Megan Bray, an accredited practising dietitian and member of ANZAED’s Executive Committee, also highlighted GPs’ central role in delivering care to people experiencing eating disorders.
‘GPs, as vital frontline healthcare providers, are strategically placed to positively impact the illness trajectory of individuals with eating disorders,’ she said.
‘Our study revealed that participants highlighted the need for GPs to receive additional training to enable more compassionate, evidence-based screening and assessment for eating disorders. Such improvements are crucial, as the current gaps in training were perceived to hinder future treatment engagement, particularly for patients presenting at a “healthy” or “higher weight”.’
ANZAED-credentialed GPs will be able to:
- help people experiencing eating disorders to identify and access the right treatment at the right time, increasing the chance of timely intervention and positive treatment outcome
- support referrals to easily locate a mental health professional and/or dietitian to provide appropriate treatment
- enhance the effectiveness and consistency of treatment for eating disorders in Australia
- build the eating disorders workforce and promote workforce development and training
- achieve recognition for their skills and experience.
On 27 March,
ANZAED is hosting a webinar for GPs to learn more about the new credential, its criteria, and the application process.
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Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician eating disorders evidence-based training
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