From silos to synergy: a scoping review of team approaches to outpatient eating disorder treatment

Objective: This scoping review synthesizes the available evidence on team outpatient eating disorder treatment, focusing on team composition, reported health and service outcomes, and reported principles of Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCP), a synergistic healthcare approach characterized by shared values and ethics, clear roles, communication, and teamwork. Method: A comprehensive search was conducted across five databases, targeting studies published between January 2004 and August 2024 that discussed team-based outpatient eating disorder treatment. Peer-reviewed and gray literature were included if they detailed team composition, characteristics, dynamics, experiences, processes, or outcomes. Results: Forty-five studies met the inclusion criteria; nearly half were case reports or lacked primary data. Treatment teams commonly comprised mental health professionals, dietitians, and medical practitioners. Clinical outcomes, such as body mass index and psychopathology, were the most frequently reported, while satisfaction and organizational outcomes were underrepresented. IPCP principles were inconsistently reported, with "Roles/Responsibilities" and "Communication" most frequently mentioned but often superficially addressed. Discussion: The evidence base for team outpatient eating disorder treatment lacks rigor and depth. Future research should focus on refining the integration of roles across disciplines, developing comprehensive outcome measures for benchmarking, and applying IPCP principles more systematically.