Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing Sleep Health into Outpatient Physical Therapist Practice: A Survey Study

While challenges and barriers to incorporating health promotion into physical therapist (PT) practice have been previously described, none have specifically assessed the challenges and barriers to incorporating sleep health into PT practice. The objective of this study was to elucidate the perceived barriers and facilitators of incorporating sleep health into outpatient PT practice.

An electronic survey was developed via qualitative interview and expert feedback. Invitation to participate was posted on two professional organization's discussion boards and sent via email to alumni, clinical instructors, and PT colleagues. Descriptive analyses were conducted.

128 individuals (72% female, age 39.6 ± 10.3 years) completed the survey. The top three barriers were: "Patient's low motivation to change their sleep behavior" (87%), and "Lack of sleep assessment resources" and "Lack of sleep intervention resources" (both 82%). The top three facilitators were: "Growing knowledge of importance of sleep in PT practice" (86%), "Shift in PT practice to emphasis on health promotion and wellness" (84%), and "Shift in PT practice to person-centered focus" (80%).

Understanding factors contributing to the "knowledge-to-action" sleep health gap in PT practice will aid in the development of strategies to mitigate the barriers and strengthen the facilitators.