Opening digital pathways to eating disorder care

An estimated 280,000 people are living with an eating disorder in rural and remote Australia. For many, getting help for an eating disorder isn’t just difficult, it’s often out of reach.

Clinicians across rural and regional Australia work tirelessly, often with limited access to resources, training and specialist services. For someone seeking help, the path forward can feel unclear and overwhelming. Specialist services are largely concentrated in metropolitan areas, leaving many people outside cities facing long travel distances, extended waitlists, and significant out‑of‑pocket costs.

In response to this longstanding gap, researchers, clinicians, and people with lived experience came together at the InsideOut Institute for Eating Disorders to reimagine access to care. After nearly a decade of research and clinical trials, the InsideOut eClinic was launched.

Funded by the Australian government Department of Health, Disability and Aged Care, the eClinic is Australia’s first free, fully online treatment platform supporting people living with eating disorder symptoms.

The eClinic offers evidence‑based self-help eTherapies, practical self‑monitoring tools, and a carers program and a dedicated Health Professional Hub with access to free guided self-help training.

“Digital, on‑demand tools like the eClinic have the power to break down barriers and deliver timely, inclusive care to those who need it,” said Dr Sarah Barakat, Research Lead of the InsideOut eClinic.

Anyone aged 16 and over experiencing eating disorder symptoms, such as feeling out of control around eating, or finding that food, weight or shape dominate their life, can access effective treatment immediately, at no cost from home, without a diagnosis or referral.

“Our research shows 10 sessions of online therapy can be as effective as 20 in-person sessions, highlighting the potential for digital care to meaningfully close the treatment gap,” said Dr Barakat.

Digital tools reduce pressure on overstretched services, extend reach and support stepped care models. The eClinic is flexible and scalable, supporting use as self‑help, guided care, waitlist intervention, adjunct to treatment, or step-up/step-down intervention. The eClinic doesn’t replace face‑to‑face care, rather, complements and offers something that’s often been missing, an evidence-based entry to care.

Eating disorders are often accompanied by shame, guilt, and anxiety, making access to traditional care difficult. People may feel they don’t fit the stereotype or aren’t “sick enough.” Digital care allows early private access without navigating complex referral pathways or waitlists.

Since its launch, the eClinic has attracted thousands of people across Australia. What we are seeing among those presenting is a substantial group of people living with significant eating concerns who, for whatever reason, are not accessing appropriate treatment, espite many experiencing symptoms for an average of 15 years and meeting diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder. The eClinic is reaching this underserved group and provides an entry point into treatment, with real potential for early intervention.

People with lived experience played a central role in shaping the platform. Pheobe Ho, a member of the InsideOut Institute’s Lived Experience Advisory Group and Clinical Psychologist, was involved in the co-design and helped to ensure it is inclusive, user-friendly, and grounded in real‑world need.

“When I was a young person on a waitlist for specialist care, an online program helped me feel less alone,” Pheobe said. “Being able to engage in something self-paced, even just learning about what I was experiencing, was an important first step toward recovery.” By offering free, immediate, and nationally available support, the InsideOut eClinic can help ensure that geography, cost or waitlists no longer determine one’s access to care.

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