SUMMARY: Researchers assessed clinician knowledge of and attitudes toward the Seven-Item Binge Eating Disorder Screener (BEDS-7), a validated, patient-reported clinical screener for adults suspected of having binge eating disorder (BED), and sought to describe the value and ease of use of the BEDS-7 in clinical practice. They found that knowledge of and comfort with BED were higher in psychiatrists than in general practitioners (GPs), but both physician groups acknowledged the importance of BED. GPs and psychiatrists who used the BEDS-7 reported it to be a highly valued, easy-to-use screener for BED.
METHODS: Researchers administered two Internet surveys (wave 1: April 15–May 6, 2015; wave 2: August 19–25, 2015) to GPs and psychiatrists. They randomly selected wave 1 invitees from a panel of licensed, U.S.-based physicians who spent 50% or more of their time in direct patient care and who reported “no” to “some to average” experience with patients with eating disorders. After completing wave 1, respondents qualified to complete wave 2. Both surveys assessed BED knowledge, BED beliefs and attitudes, and the value and ease of use of the BEDS-7. Researchers used descriptive statistics and t tests to compare continuous variables, and chi-square or Fisher exact tests compared categorical variables.
RESULTS: In all, 245 physicians (122 GPs; 123 psychiatrists) completed both waves. Composite BED knowledge (percent correct) increased significantly from wave 1 to wave 2 in GPs (52.4% to 58.4%, P < 0.001) and psychiatrists (70.1% to 73.3%, P < 0.05), with GPs’ knowledge being lower than psychiatrists’ (P < 0.001 for both waves). In both waves and in both GPs and psychiatrists, mean±SD composite belief scores about the importance of BED (maximum score=6; higher score=more belief) were high and comparable (range, 5.14±1.3 to 5.40±0.9). Mean±SD composite comfort scores (maximum score=6; higher score=more comfort) were significantly lower in GPs than psychiatrists in both waves (wave 1: 3.34±1.6 vs. 4.47±1.3, P < 0.001; wave 2: 3.06±1.7 vs. 4.37±1.4, P < 0.001). The BEDS-7 was used by 32% (39/122) of GPs and 26.8% (33/123) of psychiatrists. During wave 1, larger percentages of BEDS-7 users than nonusers reported that they anticipated the BEDS-7 would be “very valuable” (GPs: 82.1% vs. 37.3%, P < 0.001; psychiatrists: 54.5% vs. 34.4%); all BEDS-7 users reported the BEDS-7 to be “very valuable” or “somewhat valuable” during wave 2. During wave 1, larger percentages of BEDS-7 users than nonusers reported that they anticipated the BEDS-7 would be “very easy” to use (GPs: 53.8% vs 38.6%; psychiatrists: 60.6% vs 45.6%); all BEDS-7 users reported the BEDS-7 to be “very easy” or “reasonably easy” during wave 2. Most BEDS-7 users reported that important uses of the BEDS-7 included assisting clinicians in identifying patients with BED (71.8% and 87.9%) and encouraging/initiating doctor-patient discussions about BED (71.8% and 66.7%).
