(PS6-A7) Preliminary Results from a Multiphasic Pilot Test Evaluation of Mi-coach ED: A Mobile App-delivered Motivational Intervention for Women on Eating Disorder Clinic Waitlists

A significant increase in eating disorder (ED) clinic waitlists has been observed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, widening existing treatment gaps and rendering ED services further inaccessible. Given that longer times between disorder onset and treatment have important clinical correlates (e.g., treatment attrition, entrenchment of ED pathology), exploring new and innovative methods of delivering treatment is of critical concern. Mobile app-based motivational interviewing (MI) delivered prior to the start of treatment may be an effective way to improve accessibility by simultaneously addressing external (e.g., travel costs) and internal (e.g., low motivation) barriers to care. The current multiphasic study pilot-tested MI­Coach: ED, a novel, self-guided mobile app consisting of videos, articles, and exercises delivering an MI intervention tailored to the needs of ED treatment-seeking women. Phase I adapted the content and user interface of an existing evidence-based mobile app (MI-Coach©) for an ED population. Phase II, the active trial period of the study, assessed pre-post changes in motivation in a sample of treatment-seeking women recruited from ED waitlists in British Columbia, Canada, following one-month use of the app. Additional feedback was gathered in Phase III, where semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders (i.e., ED clinicians, women with eating pathology). Mixed statistical methods (i.e., quantitative analyses of pre-post changes in clinical characteristics, qualitative thematic content analysis of interview feedback) were used to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the MI-Coach: ED app. Findings from this study will be used to optimize accessibility and usefulness of the mobile app as well as inform future efficacy trials. Data collection is ongoing and preliminary results will be presented at the ABCT 2023 conference. This study has the potential to transform ED service delivery while simultaneously providing tangible psychological support to its participants.