About the eClinic

BACKGROUNDER

EMBARGOED: 12:01AM AEST, THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2025

About the InsideOut Institute’s eClinic

The eClinic

The InsideOut Institute (IOI) eClinic is a world-first,
Australian innovation providing proven and effective
recovery tools and programs for people experiencing
eating disorder symptoms, clinicians treating eating
disorders and disordered eating,and carers.1
The IOI eClinic is the first freely accessible, confidential,
and fully online service offering evidence-based,
trusted and effective support to people living with, or
affected by disordered eating, making expert care
accessible anytime, anywhere.1
Created and tested by experts from Australia’s
national institute for research, translation and clinical
excellence in eating disorders – IOI – in collaboration with people with lived experience,1
the eClinic is being officially launched at Parliament House, Canberra, today (July 24, 2025).
People experiencing eating difficulties, shape, weight, or body image concerns, or those who have been diagnosed with symptoms of an eating disorder or disordered eating, can access the IOI eclinic from home, without the need for a referral. People aged 16 and over living in Australia can access the InsideOut eClinic 24 hours a day, seven days a week.1
The eClinic also supports carers and heathcare professionals (HCPs):
o The SupportED program is an online, self-help, upskilling program for carers of people with disordered eating / an eating disorder, aimed at reducing the burden on carers by arming them with resources, knowledge about treatment options, as well as practical skills.2 The SupportED program aims to improve carers' mental health and reduce reliance on clinical services.3
o There is also a secure Health Professionals Hub that offers training to health professionals upskilling them to guide their clients through the online therapies, or to simply monitor their patients’ progress and outcomes throughout the programs. 5

Overcoming treatment access barriers

Most people living with eating disorders do not
access treatment due to stigma, shame, lack of
services, long wait times, or the misperception of
not being ‘ill’ enough.6, 7 There is currently a
substantial, unmet need for accessing treatment for
eating disorders/disordered eating.8
The IOI eClinic offers a smart, scalable, evidence-
based solution to meet those needs and transform
traditional care models in the eating disorders arena.
Funded under the Australian Government’s
Department of Health and Aged Care National
Leadership in Mental Health Program (2023-2026),1
the IOI eClinic directly addresses service gaps
and targets barriers to evidence-based care – to overcome long waitlists, workforce shortages, difficulty accessing proven treatments, and geographic barriers, particularly in rural and under-served communities.6, 7
The eClinic provides cost-effective, early intervention.
Anyone aged 16 years and over experiencing disordered eating, can access immediate, referral-free treatment at no cost, helping to mitigate illness severity, hospitalisations, and long-term burden and healthcare costs.
The IOI eClinic also facilitates greater equity in access for at-risk groups, including men, young people, and LGBTQIA+ populations who are not catered for in mainstream care.
The e-Clinic is essentially supporting individuals to overcome barriers that traditionally limit access to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), widely recognised as the gold-standard treatment for bulimia nervosa (BN).9

IOI eClinic programs & services

InsideOut Institute’s eTherapies offer evidence-based, self-help digital programs, involving mental health education, interactive activities, and skills building, including:1
o Self-help sessions alongside a digital ‘Toolbox,’ enabling users to self-monitor, plan meals, and log food consumption, thoughts and behaviours;1
o Questionairres to monitor progress,1 and
o Resources to offer support beyond the programs.1
The InsideOut Institute’s innovative eClinic programs include:
o BEeT – an online program including 10 Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) sessions for people with symptoms of, or an early diagnosis of, binge eating disorder (BED) or bulimia nervosa (BN). This program is completed over 16 weeks. Each session takes 40 – 60 minutes to complete.10
o Brief BEeT – a shorter alternative, including four weekly sessions, allowing individuals two months to complete the program.11
o SkillED – a transdiagnostic eTherapy program currently running under a research trial targeting the full spectrum of eating disorder symptoms, supporting users through 11 skills-based modules informed by clinical expertise and research. Topics covered include psychoeducation about eating disorders symptoms, self-monitoring skills, practical skills for management of emotions and dietary intake.12
o SupportED – a unique eTherapy program offered under a research trial designed for carers, offering guidance, coping strategies, and practical skills to assist someone experiencing eating or body image issues to feel more confident to care for their loved ones.1, 13
o Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Hub –within the BEeT program, is a facility that enables health professionals' to connect with their clients to ‘monitor’ or ‘guide’ them through the binge eating etherapy.1 Guides will complete training on the platform which outlines what is involved and how to provide guided self-help.

Addressing an unmet need

Despite the availability of evidence-based treatments for eating disorders, they frequently remain unnoticed and untreated, with serious implications for an individual’s physical, psychological, and social functioning.8
The prevalence of eating disorders has been increasing over the past decades demonstrating an urgent need to improve understanding of these illnesses, and facilitate access to early and appropriate care.8
It is estimated that only 19-36 per cent of individuals with eating disorders will receive treatment, with delays in accessing treatment dependent on the type of eating disorder.6
Research suggests a longer delay between the onset and treatment commencement predicts poorer outcomes,REF therefore early detection and treatment is crucial for ensuring optimal health outcomes for people with eating disorders.14
A steadily increasing prevalence of eating disorders, the limited number of people seeking treatment for eating disorders/disordered eating, and the crucial need for early intervention demonstrates a substantial, unmet need for those battling these complex mental illnesses.
Concerningly, there has been little to no improvement in the unmet need for treatment over the past 14 years, in Australia and worldwide.8
Eating disorders are internationally reported to have one of the highest mortality rates of mental health conditions, further highlighting the critical need for early intervention in order to reduce these risk factors.15
Self‐help interventions are well placed to mitigate help‐seeking barriers and facilitate access to evidence‐based prevention and treatment.7
By removing geographical and social barriers, e-therapies contribute to a more equitable mental health system.16
The IOI eclinic offers a scalable, evidence-based solution to Australia’s eating disorder crisis.1

ends#

Should you suspect you, or a loved one, may be living with an eating disorder, speak to your local healthcare practitioner without delay, or head to insideoutinstitute.org.au to complete their online screener and assessment, and to access more information and links to professional support.

Australian professional patient support services offering 24/7 helpline services include:

Butterfly National Helpline: 1800 334 673
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
LifeLine: 13 11 14
Men’s Line Australia: 1300 78 99 78
Kids Help Line: 1800 55 1800

Issued by VIVA! Communications on behalf of InsideOut Institute.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Kirsten Bruce & Sam Jacobs, VIVA! Communications

T 0401 717 566 | 0422 654 404 | 02 9968 3741/1604

E kirstenbruce@vivacommunications.com.au | sam@vivacommunications.com.au

References

1. About The eClinic: InsideOut Institute; [Available from: https://eclinic.insideoutinstitute.org.au/about-us].
2. Australian-first online program for people supporting a loved one with an eating disorder is effective in easing carer burden.: InsideOut Institute; [Available from: https://insideoutinstitute.org.au/news/australian-first-online-program-for-people-supporting-a-loved-one-with-an-eating-disorder-is-effective-in-easing-carer-burden].
3. InsideOut Institute. Carers [Available from: https://eclinic.insideoutinstitute.org.au/carers.
4. InsideOut’s GP Hub and eClinic receives investment to improve outcomes for those living with an eating disorder: InsideOut Institute; [Available from: https://insideoutinstitute.org.au/news/insideout%E2%80%99s-gp-hub-and-eclinic-receives-investment-to-improve-outcomes-for-those-living-with-an-eating-disorder].
5. InsideOut Institute. For Health Professionals [Available from: https://eclinic.insideoutinstitute.org.au/health-professionals.
6. Hamilton A, Mitchison D, Basten C, Byrne S, Goldstein M, Hay P, et al. Understanding treatment delay: Perceived barriers preventing treatment-seeking for eating disorders. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2022;56(3):248-59.
7. Linardon J, Jarman HK, Liu C, Anderson C, McClure Z, Messer M. Mental Health Impacts of Self-Help Interventions for the Treatment and Prevention of Eating Disorders. A Meta-Analysis. Int J Eat Disord. 2025;58(5):815-31.
8. Ali K, Radunz M, McLean SA, O'Shea A, Mavrangelos T, Fassnacht DB, Hart L. The Unmet Treatment Need for Eating Disorders: What Has Changed in More Than 10 Years? An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 2025;58(1):46-65.
9. Barakat S, Maguire S, Surgenor L, Donnelly B, Miceska B, Fromholtz K, et al. The Role of Regular Eating and Self-Monitoring in the Treatment of Bulimia Nervosa: A Pilot Study of an Online Guided Self-Help CBT Program. Behavioral Sciences. 2017;7(3):39.
10. Binge Eating eTherapy (BEeT): InsideOut Institute; [Available from: https://eclinic.insideoutinstitute.org.au/beet].
11. Brief Binge Eating eTherapy (Brief BEeT): InsideOut Institute; [Available from: https://eclinic.insideoutinstitute.org.au/brief-beet].
12. SkillED Study: InsideOut Institute; [Available from: https://skilledstudy.com.au/].
13. InsideOut Institute. SupportED: Online Self-Help Program for Carers of People with an Eating Disorder [Available from: https://insideoutinstitute.org.au/resource- library/supported.
14. Maguire S, Li A, Cunich M, Maloney D. Evaluating the effectiveness of an evidence-based online training program for health professionals in eating disorders. Journal of Eating Disorders. 2019;7(1):14.
15. Miskovic-Wheatley J, Bryant E, Ong SH, Vatter S, Le A, Aouad P, et al. Eating disorder outcomes: findings from a rapid review of over a decade of research. Journal of Eating Disorders. 2023;11(1):85.
16. Benefits of e-mental health treatments and interventions: The Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists; 2023 [Available from: https://www.ranzcp.org/clinical-guidelines-publications/clinical-guidelines-publications-library/benefits-of-e-mental-health-treatments-and- interventions#:~:text=Improving%20access%20to%20care,Increasing%20outpatient%20engagement].