Bridging inpatient and community treatment: feasibility, acceptability, and short-term outcomes of step care, a virtual CBT-E pathway for adults with severe eating disorders

Step Care is a feasible, acceptable, and effective virtual model for delivering intensive CBT-E at key transition points between inpatient and community care. Engagement and completion were high, including among patients with severe and long-standing illness. Short-term improvements were observed in weight and psychosocial functioning, alongside consistently positive feedback from patients, carers, and staff. These findings support further evaluation of long-term outcomes and cost-effectiveness.