A Co-Ordinated Local Approach to Disordered Eating Services (The ACOLADES Project)

A Co-Ordinated Local Approach to Disordered Eating Services (The ACOLADES Project) Conference Paper

14th National Rural Health Conference: A World of Rural Health

  • Author(s): Drenkhahn, Heidi
  • Secondary Author(s): Coleman, Leanne
  • Published: 2017
  • Publisher: National Rural Health Alliance

Abstract: To increase by 50% the confidence and skills of Broken Hill clinicians to identify, diagnose and treat Eating Disorders by January 2017. Methods /interventions An online survey was disseminated to as many local health clinicians and relevant other professions (high school teachers and social services workers) to gauge baseline and post -intervention data around levels of skill and confidence in identifying, diagnosing and treating eating disorders. Rural health clinicians should be empowered and supported to take on the ‘specialist generalist’ role. In rural health we ’re often the only one of our profession in our region so we need to be able to provide care to the patients in our area. Refusing to provide a service because you ’re not specialised in a certain area isn’t an option when the only other option is that the patient /client doesn’t receive a service at all. The role of the specialist generalist is well known and often quite revered in Rural health but requires extra professional development and multi -disciplinary support. Financial and system support for these to occur is vital to ensuring rural clinicians can be specialist generalists. • Be wary of overdoing the Obesity, healthy eating and weight loss messages. Whilst it is important and expected that as health workers we look to address the levels of obesity in Australia, we need to make sure that public messages about health remain safe and appropriate for all ages and avoid any implication of fat -shaming or diet shaming.

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Suggested Citation
Drenkhahn, Heidi, 2017, A Co-Ordinated Local Approach to Disordered Eating Services (The ACOLADES Project), Conference Paper, viewed 02 November 2024, https://www.nintione.com.au/?p=11789.

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