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What Do Patient-Reported Sleep Measures Assess? A Content Analysis
Marie De Bruecker1,2, Elke Veirman2, An Mariman1,3
1Department of Head and Skin, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.
Journal of Sleep Research
|June 9, 2026
Summary
Patient-reported sleep measures often focus on body functions, neglecting activities, participation, and environmental factors. This review highlights the need for comprehensive sleep assessments integrating all aspects of health.
Area of Science:
- Sleep Medicine
- Health Measurement
- Rehabilitation
Background:
- Patient-reported sleep measures (PRSMs) are crucial for assessing sleep disorders.
- Existing PRSMs vary in content and conceptual scope.
- A standardized framework is needed to evaluate and compare PRSMs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the content of generic PRSMs using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and semantic analysis.
- To identify the coverage of ICF components within PRSMs.
- To assess the semantic relationships and operationalization of constructs in PRSMs.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of 27 generic PRSMs.
- Linking of meaningful concepts to ICF categories using standardized rules.
- Semantic analysis of concepts within PRSM items.
- Compilation of ICF content overview.
Main Results:
- Majority of concepts linked to ICF 'body functions' (71.5%), with less representation of 'activities and participation' (14.7%), 'environmental factors' (3.5%), and 'personal factors' (2.2%).
- Semantic analysis indicated that content often framed symptoms within activities, rather than measuring functional or environmental impact.
- Operationalization and labeling of similar constructs varied significantly across PRSMs.
Conclusions:
- Current PRSMs have a limited conceptual scope, primarily focusing on symptoms.
- There is a need for more comprehensive PRSMs that integrate biological, psychological, social, environmental, and personal aspects.
- Recommendations are provided to guide the development and selection of PRSMs for improved sleep medicine measurement.
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