Results of the survey on care units and caring for eating disorders in Spain. SENPE Working Group on Eating Disorders

Abstract

Introduction: eating disorders (EDs) entail a therapeutic challenge. Objective: to describe ED care from the perspective of Nutrition Units (NU) in relation to human and care resources, the activities carried out, and satisfaction with care in Spain; to collect demands from professionals to improve assistance. Methods: a cross-sectional, observational study based on a questionnaire sent online to members of the Spanish Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (SENPE) and to the Nutrition Area of the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition (SEEN). The data were analyzed according to number of beds of the hospitals surveyed (< 500/≥ 500). Results: 23 responses from 8 autonomous communities. In 87 % of NUs care was given to eating disorders; 65.2 % had a specific process; 91.3 % collaborated with Psychiatry; 34.8 % had their own hospitalization area; 56.5 % had a day hospital, but 21.7 % participated in it; 39.1 % had a monographic consultation office; nutritional education was carried out in 87 %, especially by nursing; individualized diets and oral supplements were frequently prescribed in 39.1 % and 56.5 %, respectively; only the largest hospitals participated in research on EDs (62.5 %), and 21.7 % collaborated with patient associations. Hospitals with ≥ 500 beds had more resources and were more satisfied. Professionals demanded resources and processes agreed with Psychiatry. Conclusions: resources and care practices are uneven in the NUs surveyed, as well as multidisciplinary collaboration. The collected evidence allows us to design improvement strategies in this area.