"Referral by primary providers is the most likely reason families/patients seek expert care. A detailed assessment and referral to an expert can, therefore, ensure the best treatment outcome for the patient." 1.

Whether we are aware of it or not, all of us know someone who is struggling with an Eating Disorder. It strikes all ages, increasingly children and both genders; is harmful to health: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual - often crippling - often fatal. Those for whom family, friends and physicians have a concern practically and in proportion to the need have almost no where to turn. Waiting lists for a few available hospital beds exist in all of the GTA. Eating Disorders of York Region's proposal is to intervene before there is a need for a hospital bed, that is, cut short the life of the Eating Disorder before it cuts short the life of the sufferer.

Children, pre-teens, teens, young adults, adults, females and increasingly, males, struggle in the face of the full spectrum of Eating Disorders. Early intervention prevents the bones of a young teen from becoming those of an 80 year old, prevents the loss of fertility, brain shrinkage, stunted growth, heart damage and other irreversible damage caused by undetected and untreated Eating Disorders

Our proposal is to create and implement an Early Intervention Centre. Through an Early Intervention Centre a family physician can refer a patient to professional support where the time, expertise and confidential setting required to explore the role played by an individuals' Eating Disorder coping strategy is possible. The earlier an Eating Disorder is disrupted - the less entrenched it has become, the less amount of emotional, mental, physical, social harm has been done - the sooner the path to recovery can commence and be effective. An individual can remain in the community retaining their position(s) of responsibility whether that be caring for their family, retaining their employment, continuing school, pursuing their life goals rather than withdrawing from the community, isolating themselves from their family, loosing their focus in life and healthy activities, relationships and responsibilities. An assessment is more than the first step; it can be AN INTERVENTION.

Physicians making referrals to the Intervention Assessment Centre will continue to follow their patient's care and will receive an Assessment Report with a list of resources from which to create and monitor a Plan of Care. This step takes action rather than allowing the disorder to further deteriorate health under the guise of a "phase", "stage", something one will "grow out of" or, that will "go away on its own" - Eating Disorders are serious, debilitating, and life-threatening. Long before an individual's medical condition is so severely compromised that the only recourse is medical stabilization before treatment can even begin, families need to know their loved ones may be struggling and loosing precious years of physical growth and social engagement which may not be possible to reclaim.

Currently, if a physician suspects a patient may be coping with life through an unhealthy and potentially life-threatening Eating Disorder, they have few choices. In the case of a seriously ill or medically unstable patient a physician may make a referral to a hospital in-patient or out-patient program wait list for an admission assessment; there are long waiting lists for a limited number of places in hospital programs. A physician may make a referral to a psychiatrist most of whom have long waiting list and/or are not accepting new patients. A physician may make a referral to a psychologist which also involves waiting lists with the additional financial burden which may be prohibitive. Private treatment, if available, is approximately $1,000.00 per day for in-patient treatment, often with a minimum 30 day stay requirement and almost without exception available only for those who are medically stable. There are few choices for a family concerned about a family member who is in denial; fewer for the family physician who is unaware of the individual's Eating Disorder if the patient is unready or unwilling to disclose this or if the patient is unaware of the danger they are in.

Where will a physician make a referral for the hundreds and thousands who live in our community who are unable to access hospital programs or can not afford private treatment to interrupt the Eating Disorder at early on-set and seek early intervention?

The impact of an early intervention on the quality of life is infinite and measureless.

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http://www.rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=237&rid=17&gid=80864 OR visit us at: http://www.edoyr.com.



1. Critical Points for Early Recognition and Medical Risk Management in the Care of Individuals with Eating Disorders, Academy for Eating Disorders, (AED Report) 2011