Hospital-at-home programmes targeting adolescents with eating disorders: a scoping review

Hospital-at-home (HaH) programmes are emerging as alternatives to inpatient care for adolescents with eating disorders (EDs). The objective of this scoping review was to identify and map the existing evidence on HaH programmes targeting adolescents with EDs in vulnerable positions. Systematic searches were conducted on the MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL for studies describing HaH programmes targeting adolescents (aged between 10 and 19) suffering from EDs. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Data are reported descriptively and narratively. Despite an overall focus on EDs, all studies included adolescents with anorexia nervosa. HaH programmes were generally associated with improved BMI, symptom severity, quality of life, and motivation to change, as well as decreased admission or readmission rates. HaH programmes targeting adolescents with EDs (here, anorexia nervosa) showed positive outcomes compared to typical treatment in terms of improved BMI, symptom severity, quality of life, and motivation to change, alongside reduced admission or readmission rates.