Primary care providers' practices regarding patient sleep: Impact of integrated behavioral health

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Sleep Medicine
• Primary Care Practice
• Integrated Behavioral Health

Background:

• Adequate sleep is vital for child and adolescent development and functioning.
• Pediatric sleep problems are common, yet rarely addressed by healthcare providers.
• The impact of Integrated Primary Care (IPC) models on pediatric sleep assessment by primary care providers (PCPs) is unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare sleep assessment and intervention practices between PCPs in clinics with and without IPC.
• To evaluate PCPs' knowledge of common sleep topics and medications.
• To identify potential benefits of IPC for addressing pediatric sleep concerns.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 101 PCPs across 38 clinics within a large health system.
• Clinics were categorized as either within an IPC model or not.
• Survey questions covered current sleep assessment/intervention practices and knowledge of sleep and medications.

Main Results:

• PCPs reported moderate comfort with behavioral sleep interventions but low comfort with medical interventions.
• PCPs in IPC settings were more likely to screen for snoring compared to those in non-IPC settings.
• All PCPs demonstrated low knowledge scores regarding sleep medications, irrespective of practice setting.

Conclusions:

• IPC models may enhance PCPs' comfort with behavioral sleep interventions.
• PCPs require additional training in pediatric sleep assessment and intervention strategies.
• Collaboration with IPC behavioral health providers could improve access to sleep interventions for pediatric patients.