A new milestone of GP engagement demonstrates a strong demand for practical, evidence-based tools to provide care for people with eating disorders in general practice, with the current evaluation phase to be strongly guided by GP feedback. 
 
Less than two years after launching, InsideOut Institute’s GP Hub has recently hit 6484 users nationwide, with 3541 of them GPs. 
 
The high uptake reflects a growing awareness that people with eating disorders frequently present ‘indirectly’ in general practice settings, reinforcing the need for better identification tools, according to Dr Karen Spielman, a GP with a special interest in this area, and Chair of the GP Hub Advisory Group. 
 
‘It’s amazing, I’m particularly blown away by the numbers, and it’s really exciting that the number of GPs who signed up to the Hub represents about 9% of the GP workforce, according to latest workforce numbers,’ she told newsGP. 
 
The next step of the project is the evaluation phase, with three brief user confidence questions to appear again when GPs log in to the Hub this month, enabling comparison over time. There will also be an opportunity to provide more detailed feedback via a feedback button.  
 
This phase will prioritise improving usability, refining clinical pathways, and maintaining efficiency within standard consultation time constraints. The goal is to keep the GP Hub practical and seamlessly integrated into everyday GP workflows and facilitate real-world application. 
 
The GP Hub team expect insights from GPs across different settings will directly inform improvements, helping shape the future of eating disorder care in primary care. 
 
Dr Spielman, who is also Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Psychological Medicine, knows firsthand that eating disorders can often be hidden in general practice, and referral pathways are not always clear. 
 
‘We have done some research about what the barriers are for GPs and patients, and they are different, but certainly for GPs there’s fear of not knowing how to manage someone with an eating disorder once they identify them, and it can be time consuming,’ she said. 
 
‘Another thing is not knowing [other healthcare providers] who can help, which is a barrier for GPs who might think, “How can I best manage this person, is this going to mean finding a therapist or a psychiatrist or a dietitian?” 
 
‘By creating a multidisciplinary team and finding other services, GPs can do a lot in managing patients with eating disorders. It’s a complex, multifaceted condition that is best managed by a team.’ 
 
More than one million Australians currently live with an eating disorder, and general practice is often the first point of care.  
 
In their vital role of identifying, managing and coordinating treatment for these patients, Dr Spielman says the GP Hub toolkit supports this. 
 
‘It helps to make the process much easier for GPs and saves time by having information at the desktop, including protocols and templates that make accessing Medicare rebates and care plans, and getting help with diagnosis, quicker and easier,’ she said. 
 
‘It brings a lot of information to your fingertips.’ 
 
The GP Hub has recently received Federal Government funding to continue and expand over the next two years, with the investment supporting ongoing development, ensuring the platform evolves alongside GP needs, clinical evidence, and national care pathways. 
 
With Inside Out resources like the GP Hub and Practice Management Toolkit, Dr Spielman hopes they will better support GPs providing care in this space. 
 
‘We’re really working hard to make it easier because there are so many barriers for patients, for GPs and with the system, particularly with a strain on the hospital and tertiary systems,’ she said. 
 
‘In this area particularly, patients really struggle to come to GPs – there’s a lot of shame and secrecy around eating disorders, it’s so complex.  
 
‘Any barriers we can reduce will only give better outcomes, so if we identify people earlier and manage them earlier with evidence-based treatment, we are more likely to stop people from developing more serious and complex illnesses. 
 
‘GPs have got so much capacity to do good work, and we just want to try and streamline things for them and make it easier.’