Why do sleep disorders remain undermanaged? Insights from pharmacists and physicians using the COM-B framework.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare delivery
• Sleep medicine
• Health behavior

Background:

• Limited understanding of sleep health support by pharmacists and physicians in Arabic-speaking countries.
• Exploration of sleep health management practices using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) model.
• Identification of drivers and barriers influencing sleep health practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore pharmacists' and physicians' perspectives on sleep health management.
• To identify barriers and enablers in sleep health care provision.
• To inform targeted interventions for improved sleep health delivery.

Main Methods:

• Semi-structured interviews with 45 pharmacists and physicians in the UAE.
• Interviews guided by the COM-B framework.
• Verbatim transcription and deductive analysis using NVivo software.

Main Results:

• Healthcare providers perceive insufficient attention to sleep concerns in the population.
• Shared barriers include limited time, knowledge gaps, and sleep stigma.
• Pharmacists face limitations in counseling space and therapeutic options; physicians cite medication dependency and insurance concerns.

Conclusions:

• Identified profession-specific and shared barriers and enablers for sleep health care.
• Highlights the need for targeted interventions in primary and community care settings.
• Emphasizes the motivation of healthcare providers to improve sleep health outcomes.