Perspectives on Eating Disorders and Service Provision: A Qualitative Study of Healthcare Professionals

Reid, Marie; Williams, Sarah; Burr, Jennifer

Abstract

The study examined healthcare professionals' perspectives of eating disorder patients and services. Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with 18 healthcare professionals resulting in two themes. First, the practical difficulties of meeting the complex service needs of people with eating disorders were illustrated. Second, staff recognised patient diversity and the consequent need for individualised interventions. Services are frustrated in meeting patient needs due to complex resource limitations, which do not amount only to lack of funding. Rather than eating disordered patients being viewed as 'difficult', as reported in previous qualitative research, they are only difficult in a context of limited resources. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2010-09
• Journal: EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW
• Print ISSN: 1072-4133
• Electronic ISSN: 1099-0968
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 390-398
• APA6 Citation: Reid, M., Williams, S., & Burr, J. (2010). Perspectives on Eating Disorders and Service Provision: A Qualitative Study of Healthcare Professionals. European Eating Disorders Review, 18(5), 390-398. doi:10.1002/erv.976
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.976
• Keywords: healthcare professionals' perspectives eating disorders specialist services qualitative service evaluation anorexia-nervosa bulimia-nervosa nurses adolescents
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/erv.976