Innovations in Maudsley family-based treatment for anorexia nervosa at the Children's Hospital at Westmead: A family admission programme

The family admission programme is an innovation in the implementation of Maudsley family-based treatment (MFBT) and increases the level of therapeutic intensity compared to standard outpatient MFBT. The 2-week, hospital-based residential programme is designed as a step down from usual in-patient care or a step up if outpatient treatment is stalling. The programme targets families who are responding poorly to standard MFBT treatment because of complex family dynamics, the severity of the illness or their remote location. Through a structured daily programme and a shift in the locus of control from hospital staff to the child's parents the programme aims to reduce length of stay in the acute in-patient environment, reduce readmission rates and improve outcomes for patients and families.