Abstract

Background: Eating Disorders (EDs) among children and adolescents, such as Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN), and Binge Eating Disorder (BED) present significant clinical challenges due to their complexity. Traditional treatment approaches often encounter barriers including limited accessibility, high costs, and logistical constraints. Telemedicine has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional in-person treatment, offering potential benefits in accessibility and convenience.
Objective: This integrative review aims to evaluate the efficacy, benefits, and challenges of telemedicine interventions in the treatment of EDs among children and adolescents.
Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted according to Whittemore and Knafl’s integrative review framework across multiple databases to identify studies assessing telemedicine interventions for EDs in children and adolescents. A quality assessment was conducted on the included studies and key outcomes were systematically analyzed.
Result: Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, showcasing a range of telemedicine interventions. Six studies focused exclusively on video telemedicine, providing virtual therapy and monitoring. One study utilized a combination of video telemedicine and telecommunications, while another implemented appbased monitoring with therapeutic sessions. Virtual intensive treatment programs were highlighted in one study, offering structured daily therapeutic activities. Home-based hospitalization, observed in one study, provided intensive virtual care replicating inpatient treatment. The review found that telemedicine interventions yielded positive clinical outcomes, including symptom reduction, weight stabilization, and psychological improvements. Patient and family engagement were high, enhancing accessibility and convenience. However, challenges such as technological barriers, privacy concerns, and maintaining therapeutic rapport were identified.
Conclusion: Telemedicine presents a viable and effective alternative for treating EDs in children and adolescents, offering significant advantages in accessibility and patient engagement. Despite certain limitations, telemedicine interventions can effectively complement traditional treatment modalities. Future research should focus on refining telemedicine approaches, exploring hybrid care models, and investigating long-term outcomes to optimize the integration of telemedicine into eating disorder treatment.

Keywords:Telemedicine; Eating disorders; Children; Adolescents; Video telemedicine; Virtual therapy; Telehealth; Family therapy