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EvolvED: Advancing Eating Disorder Care in Pediatric Primary Care

Statement of Problem

Early intervention is critical to improving eating disorder outcomes and is tied to lower rates of hospitalization and reduced likelihood of poor long-term health outcomes. But despite ample evidence, early intervention is far from standard. We know from our research that delays in treatment are common, particularly for boys, LGBTQ+ youth and youth of color. Adolescents need care models that equitably improve early detection of and intervention for eating disorders.

Primary care providers are the first line of clinical support for teens with eating disorders. For many youth, especially marginalized youth, yearly well visits are their primary contact with a health care provider. While the vast majority of primary care providers see adolescents with eating disorders, over 62% report needing more education in the early identification of eating disorders. There is an imminent need for resources to support providers in growing their knowledge base and confidence in managing youth with or at risk for eating disorders.

Description

Next Steps

We will aim to create and disseminate a free website hosting the suite of tools. This pilot will serve as the foundation for a broader research agenda to address eating disorders in the community, with a focus on equitable design, delivery and scaling of interventions.

This project page was last updated in March 2025.

Suggested Citation

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PolicyLab. EvolvED: Advancing Eating Disorder Care in Pediatric Primary Care [Online]. Available at: http://www.policylab.chop.edu [Accessed: plug in date accessed here].

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