Augmenting Specialty Eating Disorder Clinical Treatment With a Smartphone Application

Standard treatment offered by the Nova Scotia Health Authority Eating Disorder Outpatient Program varies in intensity but involves therapy groups (e.g., goal setting and skill building groups), individual contact, and meal experiences. Minimal participation in the program consists of a weekly nutritional counselling group (Nutri-Logical) and one supervised meal a week. In the nutritional counselling group, patients keep a food journal (self-monitor), set eating goals, receive feedback from a psychologist and dietitian, and share experiences with the group.

The smartphone app is a mobile eating disorder self-monitoring tool that incorporates discrete reminders, positive feedback, social support, summative feedback, coping skill suggestions, and linking patients with their treating clinicians (psychologist and dietician). The app is CBT-based and was designed as an alternative to paper food records for use in clinical treatment.