Eating disorder treatment platform expands services to adults

The US virtual care platform Equip has expanded its eating disorder services to adults, in a move that could help millions access treatment.

Equip is an online provider that aims to help people struggling with eating disorders through dedicated virtual care teams and at-home treatment.

Created by clinical experts in the field and people with lived experience, the programme builds upon “evidence-based” treatments to help individuals reach lasting recovery.

Nearly 30 million Americans struggle with an eating disorder in their lifetime. However, only a small fraction of people get support, with as many as 80 per cent ending up without treatment.

Studies show women are disproportionately affected by eating disorders, as a higher percentage are concerned with their body image than men.

Equip’s expansion to adults aims to close significant gaps in the traditional treatment landscape.

“Since Equip’s inception in 2019, we have been laser-focused on providing effective treatment to thousands of adolescents and young adults with eating disorders,” said Dr Erin Parks, co-founder and chief clinical officer at Equip.

“We know, though, that eating disorders don’t discriminate by age, gender, socioeconomic status, or body size.

“By broadening our treatment to adults, we are expanding hope to every person with an eating disorder that they can rediscover a more meaningful life on the other side of their illness.”

How it started

After her anorexia diagnosis at 10, Kristina Saffran spent years in and out of hospitals and treatment centres until her family discovered family-based treatment (FBT) and she finally recovered.

Dr Parks, meanwhile, saw the success of FBT and other evidence-based eating disorder approaches while working with patients at the UCSD Eating Disorders Center.

Both were encouraged by the effectiveness of the treatment, but frustrated at how few people had access to it. After combined decades of personal, professional, and clinical experience in the field, Saffran and Parks knew they had to make a change.

They joined forces to create an affordable treatment model for eating disorders and in 2019, they founded Equip.

Growth and expansion

Initially launched as a platform for children and young adults, Equip’s latest expansion marks a landmark moment for the company, showcasing continued momentum.

It’s buoyed by a recent additional investment from General Catalyst, one of Equip’s early investors, which is hoped to fuel the company’s expansion.

Earlier this year, Equip published its first annual outcomes report, which revealed that patients saw their symptoms reduced by at least 50 per cent in their first five months of treatment.

Additionally, 94 per cent of all Equip patients had their treatment covered by insurance as a result of strategic partnerships with many leading commercial insurance plans and Medicaid.

Today, the company treats patients in all 50 US states, including the nine US states that lack an in-person treatment centre entirely.