Q&A: Tool helps PCPs screen for eating disorders during routine visits

Key takeaways

• Patients with eating disorders do not always present with obvious symptoms.
• SBRIT-ED, which was adapted from the SBRIT model, is a new, free tool that can help providers screen for eating disorders.
• The tool also offers resources for providers to counsel patients on their next steps.

A tool that screens for eating disorders and helps providers counsel patients is now available for primary care clinicians in the United States.

The creation of the “easy-to-use digital screening tool” was led by Christine Peat, PhD, an associate professor in the psychiatry department and director of the National Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders (NCEED) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, according to a university press release.

It can be difficult for primary care providers to identify eating disorders, but Peat said in the release that they are “in a unique and trusted position to help people who struggle with eating disorders.”

Part of the challenge with spotting eating disorders is that many people who have them may not present with obvious symptoms, so their conditions may go undetected, Peat said in the release. Now, the NCEED’s Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment for Eating Disorders (SBIRT-ED) can be implemented as part of routine screenings to address the challenge.

Providers are likely already familiar with the SBIRT model, as it “is a well-established public health/harm-reduction approach” that helps primary care physicians identify and counsel patients on depression, anxiety and substance use disorders, according to the release.

The new adaptation lists five questions, assesses the probability that the patient has an eating disorder and provides the physician with the estimated risk level. It also offers resources like a step-by-step referral guide to help the patient receive treatment.

Healio spoke with Peat to learn more about the tool’s efficacy and how it can help primary care clinicians.

Healio: Is this a free tool?

Peat: Yes — anyone in the country can access this tool free of charge. It can be accessed by desktop, laptop, tablet or phone.

Healio: What is the efficacy of the tool?

Peat: The SBIRT model is a longstanding harm reduction approach that was designed for primary care clinicians. [It] has been studied for the last several decades and has demonstrated good effectiveness for substance use disorders, depression and anxiety. The current tool, SBIRT-ED, leverages the existing evidence-based framework to provide an eating disorder-specific version.

Healio: Is there any evidence to show it works?

Peat: SBIRT-ED uses an evidence-based screening tool called the SCOFF. This screener has been validated for use in the primary care setting. In fact, a recent evidence review for the United States Preventive Services Task Force identified that the SCOFF was appropriate for use in a primary care setting.

Healio: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Peat: SBIRT-ED is the first-of-its-kind tool that equips primary care clinicians with the tools and resources they need to identify eating disorders among their patients. It was developed with input from primary care clinicians so that it would be appropriate for a busy primary care setting and represents a real advancement in the ability for these clinicians [to treat] serious and life-threatening illnesses.

References:

• Feltner C. et al. JAMA. 2022;doi:10.1001/jama.2022.1807.
• New tool launches to help primary care clinicians screen for eating disorders. https://news.unchealthcare.org/2022/07/new-tool-launches-to-help-primary-care-clinicians-screen-for-eating-disorders/. Published July 13, 2022. Accessed Sept. 6, 2022.