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CompletedNCT00390572Updated Apr 24, 2015Results posted

Sleep Specialty Consultation: Improving Management of Sleep Disorders

An interventional study of Sleep Specialty Consultation in Sleep Disorders, sponsored by US Department of Veterans Affairs. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2015-04-24.

Sponsored by US Department of Veterans Affairs · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
156
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Sleep disorders are prevalent health problems that reduce quality of life, increase risks for medical disease, and enhance healthcare costs/utilization. Only a small proportion of these cases are diagnosed in primary care. Pilot data from this VA suggest that sleep disorders are not adequately managed in a primary care setting: 33% of veterans with an insomnia complaint had an undiagnosed primary sleep disorder (e.g., sleep apnea), and 50% of these patients were prescribed pharmacologic treatment for insomnia by their primary care providers.

Read the detailed description

Sleep disorders are prevalent health problems that reduce quality of life, increase risks for medical disease, and enhance healthcare costs/utilization. Only a small proportion of these cases are diagnosed in primary care. Pilot data from this VA suggest that sleep disorders are not adequately managed in a primary care setting: 33% of veterans with an insomnia complaint had an undiagnosed primary sleep disorder (e.g., sleep apnea), and 50% of these patients were prescribed pharmacologic treatment for insomnia by their primary care providers. This project tests the incremental benefits of adding a one-time sleep specialty consultation (SSC) to usual primary care for reducing sleep disturbance, diurnal dysfunction, quality of life concerns and health care utilization among veterans enrolled in the DVAMC Primary Care Clinics. The SSC will consist of: (1) a thorough sleep disorders evaluation accomplished via a clinician-administered structured interview designed to assess specific symptoms of global sleep disorder categories, review of a sleep history questionnaire, and review of available (CPRS) medical/psychiatric electronic records; (2) education about the specific sleep disorders diagnoses and relevant treatment recommendations provided to the patients; and (3) standardized diagnostic information and treatment recommendations provided to the participants' primary care providers. Study hypotheses predict that patients who receive an SSC with feedback to their primary care providers will show greater improvements in sleep, mood, quality of life, and patient satisfaction, as well as larger reductions in health care utilization than will those who receive usual care alone. This is a randomized, wait-list control, clinical intervention study of 300 veterans with sleep complaints. Eligibility criteria include: sleep complaint for > 1 month duration, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score > 5; mental status score > 24 on Folstein MMSE, no unstable medical or psychiatric disorder, and approval of primary provider. The SSC intervention consists of a clinician-administered structured interview assessing sleep pathology, plus manualized feedback to patients and primary care providers. Participants are randomly assigned to SSC or Wait List Control (WLC) conditions. Measures of sleep, mood, quality of life, and patient satisfaction are obtained at enrollment and at 5- and 10-month follow-up. Computerized utilization data is obtained for the 10 months prior to and 10 months following enrollment. A series of multivariate and univariate statistical tests will be conducted.

Study findings should provide important new information about managing both the sleep problems and overall health care utilization patterns of patients with sleep complaints presenting in VA primary care settings. If SSC-evaluated patients show substantial reductions in their VA inpatient/outpatient utilization, this finding could have important cost-saving implications to the VA system.

02

Conditions studied

  • Sleep Disorders

Keywords

  • sleep
  • consultation and referral
  • outcome assessment
  • primary care
03

In context

Sleep Wake Disorders

788 studies on the registry are indexed under Sleep Wake Disorders; 186 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 156 is above the median of 62 across 548 interventional studies indexed under Sleep Wake Disorders.

Browse Sleep Wake Disorders studies →

Lead sponsor

US Department of Veterans Affairs is the lead sponsor of 658 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • veteran seen at Durham VAMC for primary care;
  • must have had a sleep complaint for > 1 month;
  • not being treated by a sleep specialist for sleep complaint;
  • provide informed consent;
  • have concurrence for enrollment from their assigned MD PCP;
  • score >5 on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index at time of screening

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • terminal illness;
  • acute or highly unstable Axis I psychiatric condition;
  • not mentally competent;
  • unstable living environment;
  • unstable medical or psychiatric condition;
  • established sleep disorder or currently under the care of one or more of our VAMC's sleep disorders specialists;
  • previous evaluation by sleep disorders specialist;
  • refuse to give informed consent
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
156 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Sleep Specialty Consultation

    Participants randomized to receive a one-time sleep consultation at beginning of study

    Behavioral: Sleep Specialty Consultation

  • No intervention
    Treatment as Usual

    Participants randomized to receive a one-time sleep consultation after completing study procedures (after 10 month study wait-list period).

Interventions

  • BehavioralSleep Specialty Consultation

    The Sleep Specialty Consultation (SSC) consisted of: (1) a thorough sleep disorders evaluation accomplished via a clinician-administered structured interview designed to assess specific symptoms of global sleep disorder categories, review of a sleep history questionnaire, and review of available (CPRS) medical/psychiatric electronic records; (2) education about the specific sleep disorders diagnoses and relevant treatment recommendations provided to the patients; and (3) standardized diagnostic information and treatment recommendations provided to the participants' primary care providers.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Provider Adherence to Sleep Specialist Recommendations

    Provider outcomes included the provider's number of participant sleep lab referrals, referrals to other specialty clinics for evaluation/treatment participant sleep problems, and presence of newly initiated sleep-focused therapies for participants. Information about these outcomes was obtained via review of provider orders and information included in notes entered into the VA's computerized medical record system (CPRS). To quantify this outcome, the number of participants referred by providers for sleep-focused diagnostic tests and interventions was compared across arms.

    Time frame: 10 months after baseline

  2. Diary Sleep: Total Wake Time and Total Sleep Time

    Changes in sleep from baseline to subsequent follow-up periods were evaluated using both actigraphy and electronic diaries via a personal digital assistant (PDA). Primary outcome measures derived from the PDA included total sleep time (TST), total wake time (TWT: SOL+WASO), and sleep efficiency (SE). Wrist Actigraphy. Mini-Mitter® Actiwatch actigraphs were used to derive the primary objective estimates of TST, TWT, and SE. Mean values of TST, TWT and SE were obtained for each participant at baseline, 5 months and 10 months post-randomization and served as the actigraphic dependent measures in study analyses.

    Time frame: 10 months

  3. Sleep Efficiency

    Changes in sleep from baseline to subsequent follow-up periods were evaluated using both actigraphy and electronic diaries via a personal digital assistant (PDA). Primary outcome measures derived from the PDA included total sleep time (TST), total wake time (TWT: SOL+WASO), and sleep efficiency (SE). Wrist Actigraphy. Mini-Mitter® Actiwatch actigraphs were used to derive the primary objective estimates of TST, TWT, and SE. Mean values of TST, TWT and SE were obtained for each participant at baseline, 5 months and 10 months post-randomization and served as the actigraphic dependent measures in study analyses.

    Time frame: 10 Months after Baseline

  4. Sleep Quality

    Changes in overall sleep quality were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The PSQI is a self-rating scale that yields a quantitative index of general sleep quality/disturbances. The PSQI is composed of 4 open-ended questions and 19 self-rated items (0-3 scale) assessing sleep quality and disturbances over a 1-month interval. The PSQI yields a global score of sleep quality ranging from 0 to 21. A score of \<= 5 on the PSQI is considered normal sleep quality.

    Time frame: 10 Months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Sleepiness

    Changes in subjectively assessed daytime sleep propensity were measured using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), a commonly employed in both sleep research and clinical applications. The ESS items inquire about the chance of dozing off in each 8 different situations. Responses are rated on a 4 point scale reflecting the respondents perceived likelihood of falling asleep. To quanitfy this outcome, the percentage of participants achieving normal sleep (less than 10 on ESS) was compared across arms at 10 months.

    Time frame: 10 months

07

Results

Posted Nov 5, 2014

Participant flow

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestoneSleep Specialty ConsultationTreatment as Usual
Started6869
Completed6064
Not completed85
Withdrew: Lost to follow-up84
Withdrew: Health condition01

Outcome measures

PrimaryProvider Adherence to Sleep Specialist Recommendations

Provider outcomes included the provider's number of participant sleep lab referrals, referrals to other specialty clinics for evaluation/treatment participant sleep problems, and presence of newly initiated sleep-focused therapies for participants. Information about these outcomes was obtained via review of provider orders and information included in notes entered into the VA's computerized medical record system (CPRS). To quantify this outcome, the number of participants referred by providers for sleep-focused diagnostic tests and interventions was compared across arms.

Time frame:
10 months after baseline
Reported as:
Number · participants
Provider Adherence to Sleep Specialist Recommendations
participantsSleep Specialty ConsultationTreatment as Usual
Ferritin Level Check Ordered40
Sleep Clinic Referral84
Polysomnography Referral for Apnea323
Polysomnography Referral for Any Reason334
Mental Health Clinic Referral134
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Clinic Referral11
Substance Abuse Outpatient Clinic Referral41
PrimaryDiary Sleep: Total Wake Time and Total Sleep Time

Changes in sleep from baseline to subsequent follow-up periods were evaluated using both actigraphy and electronic diaries via a personal digital assistant (PDA). Primary outcome measures derived from the PDA included total sleep time (TST), total wake time (TWT: SOL+WASO), and sleep efficiency (SE). Wrist Actigraphy. Mini-Mitter® Actiwatch actigraphs were used to derive the primary objective estimates of TST, TWT, and SE. Mean values of TST, TWT and SE were obtained for each participant at baseline, 5 months and 10 months post-randomization and served as the actigraphic dependent measures in study analyses.

Time frame:
10 months
Reported as:
Mean · minutes
Diary Sleep: Total Wake Time and Total Sleep Time
minutesSleep Specialty ConsultationTreatment as Usual
Total Sleep Time401.2 ± 69.9397.0 ± 75.9
Total Wake Time59.7 ± 42.079.6 ± 58.7
SecondarySleepiness

Changes in subjectively assessed daytime sleep propensity were measured using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), a commonly employed in both sleep research and clinical applications. The ESS items inquire about the chance of dozing off in each 8 different situations. Responses are rated on a 4 point scale reflecting the respondents perceived likelihood of falling asleep. To quanitfy this outcome, the percentage of participants achieving normal sleep (less than 10 on ESS) was compared across arms at 10 months.

Time frame:
10 months
Reported as:
Number · percentage of participants
Sleepiness
percentage of participantsSleep Specialty ConsultationTreatment as Usual
Sleepiness6950
PrimarySleep Efficiency

Changes in sleep from baseline to subsequent follow-up periods were evaluated using both actigraphy and electronic diaries via a personal digital assistant (PDA). Primary outcome measures derived from the PDA included total sleep time (TST), total wake time (TWT: SOL+WASO), and sleep efficiency (SE). Wrist Actigraphy. Mini-Mitter® Actiwatch actigraphs were used to derive the primary objective estimates of TST, TWT, and SE. Mean values of TST, TWT and SE were obtained for each participant at baseline, 5 months and 10 months post-randomization and served as the actigraphic dependent measures in study analyses.

Time frame:
10 Months after Baseline
Reported as:
Mean · percentage of time in bed spent sleeping
Sleep Efficiency
percentage of time in bed spent sleepingSleep Specialty ConsultationTreatment as Usual
Sleep Efficiency87 ± 9.783.5 ± 11.7
PrimarySleep Quality

Changes in overall sleep quality were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The PSQI is a self-rating scale that yields a quantitative index of general sleep quality/disturbances. The PSQI is composed of 4 open-ended questions and 19 self-rated items (0-3 scale) assessing sleep quality and disturbances over a 1-month interval. The PSQI yields a global score of sleep quality ranging from 0 to 21. A score of \<= 5 on the PSQI is considered normal sleep quality.

Time frame:
10 Months
Reported as:
Mean · units on a scale
Sleep Quality
units on a scaleSleep Specialty ConsultationTreatment as Usual
Sleep Quality8.3 ± 3.79.5 ± 3.5

Adverse events

Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
Sleep Specialty Consultation—0/68 (0%)0/68 (0%)
Treatment as Usual—0/69 (0%)0/69 (0%)

Baseline characteristics

Intent to Treat: All participants who were randomized to treatment condition.

Age, Continuous
Age, Continuous(years)Sleep Specialty ConsultationTreatment as UsualTotal
Mean55.0 ± 13.755.9 ± 13.455.4 ± 13.5
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)Sleep Specialty ConsultationTreatment as UsualTotal
Female141529
Male5454108
Region of Enrollment
Region of Enrollment(participants)Sleep Specialty ConsultationTreatment as UsualTotal
United States6869137
08

Study locations

1 site
  • Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC
    Durham, North Carolina 27705, United States
09

References and documents

Publications

  • Olsen MK, Stechuchak KM, Edinger JD, Ulmer CS, Woolson RF. Move over LOCF: principled methods for handling missing data in sleep disorder trials. Sleep Med. 2012 Feb;13(2):123-32. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2011.09.007. Epub 2011 Dec 14. PubMed 22172964 ↗
  • Edinger JD, Ulmer CS, Grubber J, Zervakis JB, Olsen MK. Effects of a One-Time Sleep Specialty Consultation on Sleep Problem Management in Primary Care. [Abstract]. Sleep. 2011 Oct 20; 34(Suppl):A337,0984.
  • Zervakis JB, Ulmer CS, Edinger JD. Can a One-Time Sleep Specialty Consultation Enhance Providers' Attention to Sleep Problems in Primary Care? [Abstract]. Sleep. 2010 Mar 1; 33(Suppl):A365,1092.
  • Edinger JD, Grubber J, Ulmer C, Zervakis J, Olsen M. A Collaborative Paradigm for Improving Management of Sleep Disorders in Primary Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Sleep. 2016 Jan 1;39(1):237-47. doi: 10.5665/sleep.5356. PubMed 26285003 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 24, 2015, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
11

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00390572
Lead sponsor
US Department of Veterans Affairs
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Oct 20, 2006
Start date
Jan 2007
Primary completion
Jul 2010
Completion
Dec 2010
Results posted
Nov 5, 2014
Last update
Apr 24, 2015

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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