Patient-to-patient E-mail: support for clinical practices

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Eating disorders (EDs) significantly impact individuals' mental and physical health.
• Traditional in-person support groups are beneficial but not always feasible for all patients or clinicians.
• Clinicians with limited patient numbers face challenges in establishing practice-based support groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the feasibility and impact of internet-facilitated peer support for patients with eating disorders.
• To describe the methodology for selecting and matching patients for e-mail-based support.
• To identify potential benefits and risks associated with this adjunctive intervention.

Main Methods:

• Patients with eating disorders were selected and matched for participation.
• An e-mail connection was established to facilitate communication between patients.
• This intervention served as an adjunctive support method within clinical practice.

Main Results:

• The e-mail-based support intervention was found to be a positive experience for patients.
• Information sharing and mutual support were key benefits reported by participants.
• The approach facilitated recovery support for individuals with eating disorders.

Conclusions:

• Internet-facilitated peer support is a viable and positive adjunctive intervention for eating disorder patients.
• This method overcomes limitations of traditional support groups, especially for clinicians with few patients.
• Careful patient selection and matching are crucial for successful implementation.