An Interpretive Description of Women’s Experience in Coordinated, Multidisciplinary Treatment for an Eating Disorder

Abstract

Coordinated, multidisciplinary treatment for women with eating disorders is consistently recommended as maximally effective, but few studies have considered the patient experience. This qualitative study examined the experiences of women receiving such care in an outpatient setting. Using an interpretive description methodology, we conducted 12 in-depth interviews with participants who were diagnosed with an eating disorder and were receiving team-based treatment. Patients uniformly advocated for the coordinated, multidisciplinary treatment approach. Analysis of participants’ experiences yielded four categories: relying on the lifeline of communication, supporting autonomy, drawing on individual strengths, and valuing synergy. These findings build on previous research emphasizing the importance of autonomy support and connectedness in the recovery process from an eating disorder. Findings highlight the importance of nurses to support a multidisciplinary care approach to working with this patient population; these women’s voices also support a treatment approach that, despite being widely recommended, is vastly understudied and underutilized.

The imperative of collaboration: Lived experience perspectives on team approaches in outpatient eating disorder treatment

“…As communication is a core competency of IPCP, and team treatment consistent with IPCP was preferred among participants, it is not surprising that communication was identified as an essential component for collaborative team eating disorder treatment. Results align with existing qualitative evidence indicating persons with lived experience perceive care as more effective when health professionals communicate (Woodruff et al, 2020). Moreover, given that communication enhances patient satisfaction and improves treatment outcomes in general healthcare (Foronda et al, 2016), support for communication among participants aligns with established conventions.…”

A framework for selecting data generation strategies in qualitative health research studies

“…For example, clinician researchers – particularly when engaged in participant observation or interviewing – must attend to boundaries with research participants, being careful not to overstep or intrude on any therapeutic relationships of the participants and their clinicians. In an interpretive descriptive study conducted to examine the varied experiences of women receiving coordinated, multidisciplinary treatment for eating disorders in an outpatient setting, 63 a detailed and reflective accounting of the roles and experiences of two of the investigators was used to address potential biases in their interpretation of the data. This included their reflections on how their professional backgrounds in clinical nutrition were perceived to influence the processes of data generation and analysis, as well as the methods used.…”

Advancing qualitative health research approaches in applied nutrition research

“…It is from this perspective that interpretive description uses disciplinary logic to generate meaningful knowledge that supports practitioners to understand challenges in the field and address clinical issues 28,29 . Although this approach to research was developed within the discipline of nursing, researchers in the field of dietetics are increasingly using interpretive description for research that supports the development of knowledge relevant to the profession 30–32 . For example, Ng et al 31 .…”

“…28,29 Although this approach to research was developed within the discipline of nursing, researchers in the field of dietetics are increasingly using interpretive description for research that supports the development of knowledge relevant to the profession. [30][31][32] For example, Ng et al 31 used interpretive description in their study exploring the dietary choices of Chinese women in Canada living with breast cancer. The findings are clinically useful and encourage healthcare providers to better understand dietary practices and encourage culturally appropriate dietary recommendations.…”