Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Sep 11, 2024
Date Accepted: Mar 10, 2025
Mobile-App Delivered Motivational Interviewing for Women on Eating Disorder Treatment Waitlists (MI-Coach: ED): Protocol for App Development and Pilot Evaluation
ABSTRACT
Background:
A significant increase in eating disorder (ED) service waitlists has been observed in the past several years, exacerbating existing barriers to care (e.g., long waitlists, scarcity of treatment centres, egosyntonicity of pathology). Given that treatment delays have important clinical correlates (e.g., entrenchment of ED pathology), exploring new methods of mental health service delivery for this population is of critical concern. Mobile app-based motivational interviewing (MI) delivered prior to the start of treatment has the potential to improve accessibility by simultaneously addressing structural (e.g., travel costs) and individual (e.g., low motivation) barriers to care.
Objective:
This multiphasic mixed-methods study aims to develop and assess the feasibility and acceptability of MI-Coach: ED, a novel mobile app designed to increase motivation among women waitlisted for ED treatment.
Methods:
Phase I adapted the content and interface of an existing mobile app based on evidence-based principles (MI-Coach ©) for an ED population. Phase II will pilot test the app through a pre-post evaluation. Participants (n = 30) aged 18 and above will be recruited from ED treatment waitlists in British-Columbia, Canada. After completing baseline assessments evaluating demographic and clinical variables (e.g., motivation, eating pathology, depression and anxiety symptoms), participants will be provided access to MI-Coach: ED for a one-month period. Participants will complete post-intervention assessments and provide both quantitative and qualitative feedback on the app. Feasibility will be evaluated through the total number of participants recruited, study drop-out rates, and engagement indicators (e.g., modules completed) within the app.
Results:
The MI-Coach: ED app has been developed, and recruitment was initiated in November 2022 and terminated in May 2024. Results are anticipated to be submitted for publication in December 2024.
Conclusions:
This study has the potential to transform ED service delivery and mitigate the impacts of existing treatment barriers for this population.
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