Following are answers to frequently asked medical questions about Mandometer. For more information on eating disorders, refer to our eating disorder, Mandometer, parent info or patient info pages, or feel free to contact us.
Can the Mandometer Clinic help patients who have failed with other eating disorder programs?
How do patients get enrolled into your eating disorder therapy?
Why are eating evaluations necessary?
When do you consider a patient in eating anorexia remission and/or bulimia remission?
How do you determine the long-term success rate of eating disorder remission?
How long do patients undergo treatment?
How much does the Mandometer program cost?
Can the Mandometer Clinic help patients who have failed with other eating disorder programs?
We have many success stories from patients who have failed at least twice prior to entering our eating disorder program. In fact, families often travel from around the world to be treated at the Mandometer Clinics, and consider us to be their 'last chance'.
Sadly, by the time they find us, these patients have usually learned to be extremely skeptical, suspicious and defensive. The good news is that we have the same success rates with these patients as we do with other, more common cases.
How do patients get enrolled into your eating disorder therapy?
Patients and their families usually start the eating disorder therapy process by scheduling a phone or face-to-face meeting with our Case Manager.
Next, patients undergo a 2-day assessment, including a thorough physical examination, written questionnaires, oral interviews, blood work, an eating exam and more. Once the assessment is complete, the Mandometer Treatment can begin.
Why are eating evaluations necessary?
We perform eating evaluations to confirm whether the patient has an eating disorder and to determine the degree of severity of the disorder. We also perform an investigation to enable us to exclude other diagnoses and to tailor eating disorder treatment to their specific needs. By asking questions, taking blood tests and making inquiries, we get to know if the patient needs to be admitted to a hospital, needs to be removed from school or work, or if she only needs to have daily visits to our eating disorder treatment center.
When do you consider a patient in eating anorexia remission and/or bulimia remission?
The following criteria must be fulfilled in order for someone to be defined as having reached remission of anorexia, bulimia or other eating disorders:
75% of our patients achieve full remission in our program.
How do you determine the long-term success rate of eating disorder remission?
For five years after remission, patients are surveyed by specially trained Eating Disorder Recovery Managers during months 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48 and 60. Various metrics, along with a test meal and relevant questionnaires, are given during these months. The questionnaires are pertinent to their lifestyle and health.
How long do patients undergo treatment?
On average, eating disorder treatment takes between four and twelve months. The number of days and hours at the clinic may depend on a number of factors including the patients diagnosis, length of illness and motivation.
The more carefully the patient adheres to the eating disorder treatment, the more quickly she will become healthy. Patients come to the Clinic more frequently at the beginning of their treatment in order to adjust their eating behaviour and become acquainted with the routines.
Near the end of the treatment, when patients are almost healthy, they visit the Clinic less often.
Patients are also asked to make follow-up visits for a period of five years after they've been given a clean bill of health, so that they can get help if they need it.
How much does the Mandometer program cost?
Every patient's eating disorder treatment is unique, and treatment costs vary based on several factors including severity of illness, length of stay and level of care.
Our management also works closely with health insurance companies to obtain coverage for our patients on an individual basis where available.