Implementing Diabetes Eating Problem Survey - Revised in pediatric type 1 diabetes care: Clinician reflections on systematic screening and multidisciplinary management.

AIM: Adolescents with type 1 diabetes have an increased risk of disordered eating; however, these symptoms may be underrecognized by clinicians. The aim of this study was to explore clinicians' perspectives and experiences on implementing the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised (DEPS-R) as a screening tool for disordered eating in a multidisciplinary care setting at a pediatric diabetes clinic. METHODS: A qualitative approach using Interpretive Description methodology was employed. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 clinicians, including pediatricians, nurses, dietitians, psychologists and psychiatrists. RESULTS: Four main themes were identified covering the relevance of DEPS-R as a supplement to the clinical expertise and intuition, enhancing conversations, interdisciplinary collaboration, engaging families and implementation challenges. Clinicians found DEPS-R valuable for detecting disordered eating, facilitating deeper patient conversations and supporting early intervention. Key challenges included time constraints and the need for further training. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians found DEPS-R to be a valuable addition to their practice for identifying disordered eating in youths with type 1 diabetes, but effective implementation requires interdisciplinary collaboration, management support and continuous optimization for clinical use.