Auburn University clinicians, dieticians and directors are all working together to help students who are suffering from eating disorders. They are using an app called Recovery Record to aid their treatment of the patients.
"Recovery Record allows them to track what they're eating, but also the thoughts that they're having [and] feelings that they're having," said Ann Marie DelSignore, senior staff clinician at the Auburn University Student Counseling Services and coordinator of the eating disorder treatment team.
The app provides a variety of services to the user. On the Recovery Record home page, there is a link to log thoughts, meals and feelings.
"For me, the most helpful part is the thoughts and the feelings that they're having that they record in relation to either their food or their body image, or whatever it might be," DelSignore said. "I really think that they prefer to use an app than to actually write down, you know, a paper journal."
Jessica-Lauren Newby, registered dietitian at Campus Recreation, said she uses Recovery Record to monitor food intake, thoughts, feelings and eating disorder behaviors in her eating disorder clients.
The app provides a charts section that highlights insights, trends and progress.
"The beauty of Recovery Record...is it allows tracking down and data collection from a providers perspective without the triggering effect of something like My Fitness Pal...or the other types of apps that are geared more toward weight loss and calorie counting," Newby said. "It was designed by an individual who lost a best friend to an eating disorder, and she wanted to provide something that individuals could use on a smart phone or device to aid in their recovery."
Newby said the app can help with any type of eating disorder, and it is designed with significant emphasis on positive reinforcement and motivation.
Part of the positive reinforcement aspect of the app is the rewards component, where users can collect puzzle pieces for logging meals and earn hidden rewards when they finish the puzzle.
A scrapbook feature enables users to save their favorite quotes, encouraging words, or images they find motivating.
"I think it's something that can be very helpful, especially in the beginning of a recovery when they are trying to really figure out what are my triggers, when do I do well with eating, when do I struggle and when do I need more accountability," Newby said. "It's really helped with reflecting and gathering data about yourself."
Users can log both their goals and goals set by clinicians.
They can also plan their meals with the meal planner and keep a list of coping tactics.
Psychologists and dieticians use the information from the app to learn when the patients are eating.
Then they relay the information to Suzanne Graham-Hooker, the assistant director of medical education at the Auburn University Medical Clinic.
"If there's something serious that goes on, like if the patient is having suicidal problems or if they're cutting, or if they're having things that need immediate adjustment before the time they come in for their appointments with me, then they will call me," Graham-Hooker said.
Users can also pair up with other users on the app anonymously to send each other messages of encouragement.
A helpline, initiated through Recovery Record, has professionals working the line if users want to call to talk.
"I think it's really important that if you do see yourself as someone who could benefit from the Recovery Record app, that it's also important that you link up with a physician and a dietician and a psychologist," Newby said.
Though she recommends the app, DelSignore said she might tell patients at a particular point, such as those excessively counting calories, not to use Recovery Road, as they would not benefit at that stage of their treatment.
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