10103660Artificial intelligence-based, virtual reality application to provide data-driven, patient-centred treatment for people with eating disorders [Oasis].ClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKEating Disorders (ED), such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating, are serious mental health problems that can severely affect a person's quality of life, and their families. In the UK, it is estimated there are 1.25 million people with EDs, and a disproportionate number are below the age of 25\. People with EDs often suffer with other serious conditions, such as depression and anxiety that need to be managed simultaneously for the best possible outcome. Left untreated, EDs can lead to severe malnutrition, family dysfunction, relationship breakdown and sometimes, tragically, death. Anorexia is known to have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric condition. As a result, it is vital that ED patients have access to effective and potentially life-saving treatment in a timely manner, however waiting list times for ED treatment on the NHS are increasing. Since 2017, South London & Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM) have been developing a novel transdiagnostic service for emerging adults with recent ED onset known as FREED (First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for EDs). FREED patient studies have shown at 12 months nearly 60% of FREED anorexia patients returned to a BMI of 18.5 or greater. FREED shows promise as a service model for emerging adults with EDs. SyncVR Medical UK Ltd (hereafter SyncVR) is a market leader for providing extended reality (XR) in healthcare including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). SyncVR's novel XR platform allows the company to deliver its own applications and host third parties (similar to Netflix). Sync-VR has created several successful mindfulness focused applications which are currently being used in over 125 hospitals across Europe, including 35 NHS trusts. Through the Oasis project, SyncVR and SLaM will develop the world's first artificial intelligence-based, virtual reality application to support medium and high risk ED sufferers waiting for treatment. Oasis will be underpinned with FREED methods, mindfulness and dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) elements to provide a rapid, cost-effective and scalable technology to provide patients with useful coping and mood management skills to manage their emotions while they wait for therapy and support them in feeling more prepared for therapy when they encounter it.Furthermore, Oasis will help reduce the enormous economic burden presented by EDs, which currently cost the UK economy ~£9.4bn annually, by enabling patients to better self-manage their condition, in turn reducing sick days, loss of productivity due to absenteeism, and costs to the healthcare systems worldwide.