Researchers
at Michigan Medicine have found that cognitive behavioral therapy sessions
delivered via telehealth are as effective as in-person treatment for people
living with chronic insomnia.
July 28,
2020 - With COVID-19 all but eliminating non-urgent visits to the
doctor’s office, a new study proving the value of telehealth in treating
insomnia could be a welcome relief for people with sleep issues.
Conducted by
researchers at Michigan Medicine (formerly the University of Michigan Health
System) and detailed in the
online journal Sleep, the study finds that cognitive
behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions conducted on a telemedicine platform had
nearly the same effect on insomnia treatment as in-person sessions.
“Telemedicine
delivery of CBT for insomnia is not inferior to face-to-face for insomnia
severity and yields similar improvements on other sleep and daytime functioning
outcomes,” the researchers concluded. “Further, telemedicine allows for more
efficient treatment delivery while not compromising therapeutic alliance.”
According to the
study, some 65 people living with chronic insomnia were split evenly into two
groups, with one group receiving six weeks of in-person counseling and the
other group attending online sessions with the same provider and featuring the
same content. Participants were asked to keep a sleep diary and were assessed
on daytime functionality and an Insomnia Severity Index (ISI).
The study found that
66 percent of those attending in-person sessions responded to treatment,
compared to 61 percent of those using the online format, and that those
treatments were effective three months after the end of the sessions in 62.5
percent of those receiving in-person care and 58 percent of those using
telehealth.
The study adds to a
growing body of research and pilot programs that indicate connected health
platforms can help patients dealing with a variety of chronic issues, ranging
from insomnia to diabetes care management. The finding is particularly
important at a time when the coronavirus pandemic is restricting in-person care
and pushing more treatments to telehealth.
Alongside CBT
sessions delivered via telehealth, sleep researchers have been exploring the
use of wearable mHealth devices to both track people during sleep and help
develop new treatments.
This month, digital
therapeutic company Pear Therapeutics announced the launch of its DREAM study,
which will use a prescription mHealth app, delivered via smartphone or tablet,
to track the sleeping habits of some 350 adults living with chronic insomnia.
“Insomnia, anxiety,
and depression are on the rise due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Yuri Maricich,
MD, chief medical officer for the Boston-based company, said in a press
release. CBT “is considered first-line treatment for chronic
insomnia, but the majority of people do not have access to nor receive the
recommended treatment. By delivering (the treatment) digitally, we can
learn from people with chronic insomnia, address their critical needs and
remove the barriers for accessing guideline recommended treatment.”
Roughly 30 percent of
the US adult population complains of sleep disruption, according to the
National Institutes of Health, and about 10 percent say the
issue affects daytime function.
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