Health
New ARFID Fundamentals course to provide much needed training to clinicians
2 Dec, 2024
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a serious illness involving an avoidance and aversion to food and eating. People with ARFID may only eat small amounts of, or a limited range of foods, which can lead to an inability to meet their energy and nutritional needs and result in malnutrition, weight loss, and in children, an inability to maintain growth and development.
InsideOut’s new ARFID Fundamentals course was designed by experienced clinicians in consultation with individuals with lived experience of ARFID to train clinicians to identify ARFID, provide a thorough assessment, be able to differentiate the disorder from other feeding and eating disorders, and understand emerging treatment options.
An increase in cases has created a need to support clinicians to identify adolescents, and adults to gain the knowledge, skills and confidence required to identify, treat and manage ARFID.
Senior Dietitian at InsideOut Institute, Maureen Moerbeck explains further why there is demand for a course like ARFID Fundamentals amongst practicing clinicians:
“Clinicians are telling us that they are seeing more clients presenting with ARFID yet there is very little information out there to help guide them on how to identify, support and treat, leaving them feeling unsure what to do,” she said.
“Not receiving the right diagnosis, care and treatment can, at best, leave the patient feeling unheard, and at worst can cause harm. Health professionals are doing their best, but ultimately, you don’t know what you don’t know. ARFID Fundamentals has been developed to upskill clinicians to alleviate this.”
Moerbeck explains why the unique nature of ARFID requires clinicians to acquire specialised knowledge of the disorder.
“This diagnosis is different to the other better known eating disorders, and therefore it has a different management plan. We are seeing more and more individuals with ARFID and so clinicians need to know how to provide safe and effective care,” she said.
“Clinicians completing ARFID Fundamentals will learn what ARFID is and isn’t and how it differs from other diagnoses; how to identify ARFID and how it presents in the different subtypes, and how to provide a thorough assessment and safe management within the resources that your service has.”
ARFID Fundamentals is a self-paced, evidence-based, research-led training course for all clinicians who may see someone with ARFID in their clinical practice.
A certificate will be issued on completion of the course.