Eating Disorder Therapy Goes High Tech

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Recovery Record, a Silicon Valley based mobile health company, today launched its new mobile platform for eating disorder treatment enabling patients and their providers to securely co-manage eating disorder recovery in real-time. The platform was highlighted today as one of ten buzz-worthy companies making their debut at Health 2.0 Silicon Valley.

It is estimated that 25 to 30 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder at some time in their life, with most disorders beginning at ages 12 to 25. The current treatment model of weekly clinic visits with paper therapy homework is not accessible or sustainable for these digital natives. Only 1 in 10 eating disorder sufferers receive treatment. Recovery Record has brought elegant design and best practice treatment together  to empower users and improve quality of care.

The new platform incorporates key strategies from the most scientifically supported treatment for eating disorders, cognitive behavioral therapy. The iPhone and Android app for patients facilitates 'recovery on the go' with behavioral monitoring, rewards such as aspirational songs and pictures of baby animals, and smart algorithms that suggest coping tactics in the moments they are needed.

This formula is proving to be successful. This month, Recovery Record has surged past 65,000 members who have completed over 4,000,000 therapy homework sessions. Over 30% of these users have told no one in the world they have an eating disorder, highlighting the potential of this technology for disorder outreach and prevention.

The new platform is also making a concrete change in the way that treatment is delivered. Practitioners can now access patient data via their own iPhone and iPad app, enabling data-driven clinical decisions and evaluation of treatment effectiveness. They can also set treatment programs that are sent to the patient app to reinforce skills between visits.

Over 2,500 practitioners and two large US healthcare providers have signed up to use the Recovery Record system. "The reaction from the eating disorder community has been overwhelmingly positive," said Jenna Tregarthen, Recovery Record CEO, who postponed her Clinical Psychology PhD to create the platform after watching her best friend live with bulimia nervosa for 10 years. "Contrary to the notion that professionals in this industry are not open to change, they are eager to be early adopters to give their patients the best chance of recovery."

http://www.recoveryrecord.com 

SOURCE Recovery Record