Survey of regional health care providers on selection of treatment for bulimia nervosa

OBJECTIVE: To determine which treatments clinicians currently recommend for patients with bulimia nervosa (BN), to find out if they recommended evidence-based treatments, and to assess availability and clinician satisfaction with treatment options. METHODS: Surveys were sent to 1,263 health care providers in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin who were likely to encounter patients with BN. These health care providers comprised all primary care clinicians, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, and all mental health/chemical dependency clinicians (MDs, Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), social workers, doctoral and masters-level therapists, and chemical dependency (CD) counselors) affiliated with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. RESULTS: Evidence-based treatments for BN are recommended consistently and are generally perceived to be available, at least to practitioners affiliated with a large medical center in the Midwest. Clinician satisfaction with treatment options is modest. DISCUSSION: Clinicians are recommending evidence-based treatments for BN patients and find them to be generally available. Modest satisfaction with available treatments may reflect a realistic understanding of treatment options, which need further development.