Development of the medical admission pack project: Utilising the expert-by-experience voice to improve experiences of medical admissions in young people with eating disorders

Abstract

Young people with eating disorders can present with physical health risks that require admission to a general hospital ward which can be a negative experience. As part of a service development initiative within the CAMHS Community Eating Disorder Service for Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust, we co-produced a Medical Admission Pack for Young People. It was designed based on assimilated data from a focus group, an interview and surveys, gathered from young people who had experienced an admission to a general ward, their parents/carers and ward staff. Thematic analysis was conducted to derive the three key themes: uncertainty, negative experiences and having a voice. The themes were used to guide the construction of The Medical Admission Pack, which was co-produced between the service and expert by experience service users, in line with the six principles of trauma-informed care (safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment and cultural consideration). The packs were developed to help reduce the negative experiences during admissions by resolving uncertainty – to promote psychological safety and trust – as well as empowering young people. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the aims of the pack were met, however further evaluation is still needed. A further advancement of this pack was an edition for parents/carers, based on similar principles but suited to the needs of the parent/carer The parent/carer pack is relatively new and requires evaluation to determine the effectiveness.