Delivery of family therapy in the treatment of anorexia nervosa using telehealth.

Family therapy plays an important role in the comprehensive treatment of adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN). However, most comprehensive hospital-based treatment facilities for eating disorders are situated in large urban centers, thus not accessible to individuals living in underserviced rural communities. Telehealth is now being used to provide psychiatric services to individuals who do not have access to urban-based treatment centers. We report the therapeutic outcome and patient satisfaction of using telehealth to provide family therapy as an adjunctive treatment for AN to an adolescent female admitted to a large urban-based hospital treatment program. Family therapy was delivered via telehealth in a therapeutic environment within a hospital setting, and was received in a telehealth facility in the rural community. Family therapy was effectively delivered and contributed to patient recovery, as measured by objective criteria (weight gain, improved medical condition) and subjective clinical observations. In addition, all family members reported high satisfaction with telehealth without any concern regarding confidentiality. The advantages of telehealth are discussed in the context of legal and ethical issues relating to the use of this technology to deliver psychiatric care.