Structured, supported feeding admissions for restrictive eating disorders on paediatric wards

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Medicine
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Eating Disorders

Background:

• Restrictive eating disorders in youth are a growing concern, often necessitating hospitalization.
• Managing these cases on general pediatric wards presents significant challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a collaborative model between pediatric and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) for managing youth with eating disorders.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of short, structured, supported feeding admissions as an adjunct to outpatient treatment.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a joint working model involving pediatric wards and CAMHS.
• Utilizing short, structured, supported feeding admissions for high-risk or treatment-resistant cases.
• Integrating these admissions to supplement existing outpatient care.

Main Results:

• Successful community management for the majority of young patients.
• Avoidance of lengthy and costly admissions to specialized eating disorder inpatient units (tier 4).
• Improved manageability of local ward admissions and positive shifts in staff attitudes.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative efforts between pediatric and CAMHS teams facilitate shorter, more manageable local ward admissions.
• This integrated approach effectively reduces the demand for tier-4 specialized eating disorder inpatient services.
• The model enhances the care of young people with restrictive eating disorders within the community setting.