Background: Across NSW, services report an increase in people presenting with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), however, clinicians were unable to access evidence-based training.

In search of care, a person with ARFID can present across the health system: feeding clinics, early childhood centres, speech pathologists, dietitians, mental health teams and emergency departments. Accessible, evidence informed training for clinicians across multiple disciplines was needed to bridge this gap, build clinician confidence and open pathways to care.

Aims: To develop an eLearning that meets clinicians needs: guidance on what they could do within their current setting and scope of practice.

Outcomes: Scoping workshops across NSW defined the gap in training and called for guidance on best practice care within local non-specialised medical and mental health settings, taking into consideration clinicians’ scope of practice.

ARFID fundamentals eLearning was co-produced with lived experience representatives; is evidence informed and draws on local and international expertise.

This eLearning guides clinicians through an understanding of ARFID and its different subtypes, while differentiating from other feeding and eating disorders to enable a comprehensive assessment. Participants are guided through multimodal treatment, drawing on clinicians’ expertise within local services and scope of practice. It focuses on the importance of a multidisciplinary team to enable innovative, person-centred care and support.

Impact: Pathways to care for a person with ARFID are still being developed. Workforce development and training is essential to increase capacity of clinicians to provide care and to support families. Training needs to be considered carefully to meet the needs of the system and clinicians across the sector fill the gap in care for people with ARFID.