Smartphone-based Aftercare for Inpatients With Bulimia Nervosa

Summary

Inpatient treatment for patients with bulimia nervosa (BN) is recommended in extreme or severe cases and/or after failure of outpatient treatment and is highly effective. However, a number of patients show symptom increase and relapse after discharge. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a guided smartphone-based aftercare intervention following inpatient treatment of patients with BN to support recovery.

Conditions

• Bulimia Nervosa

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Recovery Record Aftercare

Patients randomized to IG receive a therapist-guided smartphone-based aftercare intervention for a period of 16 weeks. The patients are invited to download for free the German version of "Recovery Record" at the App Store (iPhone) or the Google Play Store (android) to their smartphone and to link with the aftercare therapist. After discharge, patients are asked to monitor their meals at least three times per day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), that is, to produce a minimum of three logs per day over the subsequent 16 weeks. Furthermore, patients are instructed to monitor their thoughts and feelings as well as their (eating disordered) behaviors. The aftercare therapist also sets the patients clinical post-discharge goals and makes coping skill suggestions. Individual therapist feedback is provided in-app twice per week during the first four weeks, once per week in weeks 5-8 and every other week in weeks 9-16.

BEHAVIORAL

Treatment as usual (TAU)

Patients randomized to CG receive TAU i.e. patients and their physicians or therapists decide on post-discharge treatment which is documented at T1 and T2. Patients from the CG are also assessed at all assessment points.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Schoen Clinic Roseneck

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Schoen Clinic Bad Bramstedt

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Schoen Clinic Bad Arolsen

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Klinik Lüneburger Heide

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Else Kröner Fresenius Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• Ludwig-Maximilians - University of Munich

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Sandra Schlegl, PhD · Ludwig Maximilian University Munich

• Ulrich Voderholzer, MD · Schoen Clinic Roseneck

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

13 Years

Max Age

60 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-09-01

Primary Completion

2024-02-29

Completion

2024-08-31

Countries

• Germany

Study Locations