InsideOut Institute is Australia's national leader in eating disorder research. Our work spans clinical trials, digital innovation, and translation into real-world practice. Through global research partnerships, we are advancing knowledge to improve prevention, early intervention, and treatment for eating disorders, with the ultimate goal of finding a cure.
Addressing the gap between research, implementation and translation to improve outcomes for people with EDs
This study looked at how eating disorder research was funded in Australia between 2009 and 2021 and compared it with funding for other mental health conditions. It found that eating disorders receive far less research investment than their severity, prevalence, and high mortality rates would justify, highlighting a major gap between need and funding.
This project created a single, standard set of information to be collected about eating disorders across Australia, to help us better understand how people access treatment and how well those treatments work.
An analysis of the first 24 months of uptake of Australia's 2019 dedicated Medicare items for eating disorders, examining variations in service delivery across regions, healthcare settings, and professional disciplines. The study tracked over 29,000 care plans initiated and 265,000 treatment sessions delivered, identifying opportunities for program refinement to optimise outcomes and ensure policy objectives are met.
The GP Hub and Tools research program evaluates a comprehensive, free, nationally available digital hub designed to support GPs in screening, assessing, diagnosing, and treating eating disorders through evidence-based tools, clinical decision support, and practice management resources. The program monitors engagement and outcomes to identify improvement opportunities, with the goal of increasing GPs' knowledge, confidence, and willingness to identify and manage eating disorders in primary care.
Our eClinic is a digital platform providing immediate access to evidence-based online interventions and self-monitoring tools for people with eating disorders at any point in their recovery journey, with a Health Professional Portal enabling clinician-guided support. This research establishes a comprehensive outcomes database from routinely collected eClinic data to analyse accessibility, usage, and treatment effectiveness, informing platform improvements and transforming service provision for underserved populations.
This project aims to improve treatment and early intervention of eating disorders in mainstream mental health settings nationally (Headspace, Medicare Mental Health, Head to Health and Initial Assessment and Referral (IAR)) by embedding evidence-based treatment in care and upskilling frontline mental health clinicians.
This study investiagted the use of Family-Based Therapy (FBT) via telehealth for young people with Anorexia Nervosa living in rural and regional settings. It found that telehealth-FBT was feasibly implemented into rural services, with preliminary efficacy comparable to those reported by specialist studies.
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InsideOut acknowledges the tradition of custodianship and law of the Country on which the University of Sydney and Charles Perkins Centre campus stands. We pay our respects to those who have cared and continue to care for Country. We are committed to diversifying research and eliminating inequities and discrimination in healthcare. We welcome all people regardless of age, gender, race, size, sexuality, language, socioeconomic status, location or ability.