Aims
InsideOut has piloted and evaluated a microlearning program for general practitioners (GPs) to help support patients with, or at risk of developing, an eating disorder. Our findings supported the use of microlearning in medical health professional training, especially around complex mental health concerns. This pilot study utilised a case-based learning model whereby GP users received continuing professional development (CPD) points from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RACGP) on completion of very brief case scenarios.

Background
Over two thirds of people present to their GP as a first point of contact for mental health concerns. However, eating disorders are often not identified in the primary care setting. A significant barrier to early detection and intervention is lack of primary care physician training in eating disorders, compounded by the significant time commitments required for training by already time-poor GPs. Sent to the user’s phone, the short multiple-choice scenarios take less than three minutes to complete. Our study suggests that microlearning programs are an acceptable and effective training method for GPs to learn about eating disorders. Results demonstrated improved skills, confidence, and willingness-to-treat among participating GPs, with 97.5% finding microlearning an effective and flexible training method applicable to clinical practice.