When many people think of eating disorder treatment, there tends to be three words in their lexicon: inpatient, residential or outpatient. One of our goals is to help people be better consumers of treatment by expanding their treatment lexicon to include two acronyms: partial-hospitalization (PHP) and intensive outpatient (IOP).
Inpatient Care
When someone is inpatient — it means that they are in a hospital for 24-hours per day. We reserve inpatient care for people that are medically unstable — their eating disorder has put them at immediate risk for death. It is important to remember that you cannot tell by looking at someone if they are medically unstable. It is not uncommon for someone to appear to be at a healthy body weight, but they have recently lost weight in an unhealthy way and/or at an unhealthy rate and now their heart has been compromised. A nurse or a physician can determine if someone is medically unstable by looking at their vitals (height, weight, heart rate, blood pressure), EKG, and lab work (Ca++, Mg+ and Phos, BUN, Cl-, Bicarb, K+ Na+). If we believe someone is medically unstable, they will receive care on our Medical Behavioral Unit (MBU) that is housed at Rady Children’s Hospital. All patients are given their own room and their family is encouraged to stay with them.
Partial Hospitalization (PHP)
Also called Day Treatment, this level of care provides treatment for 6-10 hours per day, 5-6 days per week. Initially, patients are with us for 60 hours per week, and their parents join them for a minimum of 13 hours per week. As patients progress, they gradually decrease the time they spend in program, developing mastery of their skills in the real world.
Intensive Outpatient (IOP)
This level of care provides treatment for 3-4 hours per day, 3-5 days per week. The IOP level of care allows patients to resume school, work, volunteer, and family activities while maintaining recovery and improving skills in treatment.