Outreach to pediatricians

Why F.E.A.S.T. has an exhibitor's table at the American Academy of Pediatricians National Conference  2011:

10. The first place most parents bring their child when they seem unwell is the family doctor or pediatrician.
9. The best possible time to intervene is at that first appointment.
8. Failure to validate a parent's concerns at that first appointment and provide appropriate information and referrals is a lost opportunity to save a life.
7. It is time for the eating disorders community to speak directly to the front line doctors.
6. F.E.A.S.T. will have the opportunity to distribute the AED's new document FOR DOCTORS.
5. 15,000 pediatricians eager for information is the right place for F.E.A.S.T. to provide it.
4. We can learn more about the state of pediatrics and eating disorders in two days than in years of second-hand reports.
3. The eating disorders world needs to get out of its cul-de-sac of discussion with itself and start talking with others.
2. The F.E.A.S.T. Medical Education Task Force is helping families by actively reaching out to all medical professionals.
1. Because of all the families who don't know today that in the next year they will be bringing an ill, strangely irrational, resistant child to the pediatrician to be given - or not - a diagnosis that will change the course of their life. If we can help that first appointment be the path to successful treatment instead of the first of lost opportunities, we want to be there!

Comments

  1. Wow! What a great idea, and how well you have articulated your very fine points.

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  2. Thank you Laura for all you do to bring this essential information to the health care providers in the world.

    As a parent who has lived the utter horror of watching ED kidnap my daughter while health professionals have stood by shrugging their shoulders on the best days & pointing their fingers at me on the worst days, I for one am thrilled.

    This is a new day to have FEAST at the AAP National Conference this year! I hope to see many more parents as well as eating disorders professionals at the conference.

    Becky Henry

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  3. This is so timely! I just dealt with seeing a new patient whose MD missed the ED diagnosis, who was at serious risk with purging, overexercising and restricting. When I contacted the MD and also stated to the family that I had serious concerns and that this warranted a higher level of care (given the 17 year old's resistance to change and distorted thoughts), and the need for stopping all exercise for safety I was fired by the family and attacked by the MD (for being inappropriate for how I so directly stated that the MD needed to be doing more.)

    Yes,many pediatricians and parents have a lot to learn. This AED piece is a good start.

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