title: Medical providers' self perceived knowledge and skills for working with eating disorders: a national survey.
abstract: Research indicates that individuals suffering from an eating disorder (ED) consult their general practitioners more frequently than those without an eating disorder (Mond, Myers, Crosby, Hay, & Mitchell, 2010). However, little is known about medical providers' existing knowledge of and training in ED detection, intervention, and treatment. This study aimed to examine national medical providers' self-perceived knowledge, skills, and needs around eating disorder screening and intervention strategies. Utilizing survey design, a randomized sample of national medical providers responded to a 23-question survey. Sixty-eight percent of respondents indicated that they did not think to screen for an eating disorder because it was not the presenting concern and nearly 59% of providers did not feel like they had the skills necessary to intervene with eating disorders. Training implications and future research directions are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Counseling Psychology and Human Services, College of Education, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403-5251, USA. Linville@uoregon.edu
authors.forename: Deanna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Linville
authors.forename: Tiffany
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Neil
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012017:Referral and Consultation