Development of consensus‐based guidelines for outpatient dietetic treatment of eating disorders: A Delphi study.

CONSENSUS (Social sciences); DELPHI method; DIETETICS; EATING disorders; EXPERIMENTAL design; FOOD habits; INTERPROFESSIONAL relations; MEDICAL protocols

Objective: To generate consensus‐based guidelines for outpatient dietetic treatment of patients with an eating disorder (ED) using Delphi methodology. Method: A modified Delphi method was used to develop consensus‐based guidelines in several categories: referral to a dietitian; essential components of outpatient dietetic treatment; strategies to promote collaboration between dietitians and other healthcare professionals; and skills dietitians should possess if treating patients with an ED. Participants (n = 162) were coded into three panels: ED specialists (n = 79), non‐ED specialists (n = 28), and consumers and carers with lived experience of an ED (n = 55). A total of 122 statements were rated across three rounds. Results: Eighty‐one statements reached consensus level (66.4%). A high proportion of endorsed statements were consistent with current guidelines for ED treatment, though some statements for which evidence exists were not endorsed as essential components of dietetic treatment. Compared to consumers and carers, ED specialists were less likely to endorse assessment or involvement by a dietitian as a standard component of treatment, and a number of discrepancies between ED specialists and consumers and carers were observed regarding essential components of dietetic treatment. Discussion This study provides consensus‐based guidelines in the current absence of clinical practice guidelines for dietetic treatment of EDs. It also highlights the importance of further research into: (a) the effectiveness of different components of dietetic intervention in this population and (b) how dietetic assessment and intervention is best incorporated into outpatient treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Eating Disorders is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)