Development of a new statewide eating disorder service: the role of evidence in a real world setting

Objective: There are three aims of this report. First, to describe how research evidence informed a service development rationale for a new statewide eating disorder service (SEDS) for people aged 15 years and older. Second, to examine the profile of people accessing SEDS in the first 2 years of its operation with respect to the three broad dimensions: illness stage, illness severity, and previous history of treatment. Finally, to examine which patient characteristics resulted in the recommendation of ongoing treatment contact with SEDS. Method: Over a 2-year period (July 2014 to July 2016) 292 people were referred to the service, 171 (59%) who consented to have their data used in research. Results: Half of the referrals related to anorexia nervosa (AN; 51.2%), with the remainder split between bulimia nervosa (25.3%) and other specified feeding and eating disorders (23.5%); 65.9% had previously received treatment for an eating disorder. The initial information about the service was typically provided by the general practitioner/primary care physician. Compared with any other eating disorder diagnosis, people with AN were three times more likely to be recommended to retain treatment contact with SEDS. Discussion: Service development informed by research evidence, clinical expertise, and consideration of patients’ characteristics, values, and circumstances, allows for a flexible but accountable development strategy.