Themes arising during implementation consultation with teams applying family-based treatment: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: This study describes themes arising during implementation consultation with teams providing Family-Based Treatment (FBT) to adolescents with eating disorders. METHODS: Participants were implementation teams (one lead therapist, one medical practitioner and one administrator) at four sites. These teams agreed to support the implementation of FBT, and participated in monthly consultation calls which were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded for themes. Twenty percent of the transcripts were double-coded to ensure consistency. Fundamental qualitative description guided the sampling and data collection. RESULTS: Twenty-five (average per site = 6) transcripts were coded using thematic content analysis. Six major themes emerged: 1) system barriers and facilitators 2) the role of the medical practitioner, 3) research implementation, 4) appropriate cases, 5) communication, and 6) program impact. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation themes aligned with previous research examining the adoption of FBT, and provide additional insight for clinical programs seeking to implement FBT, emphasizing the importance of role clarity, and team communication.