Patient accessibility and utilization of behavioral sleep medicine referrals in an academic center

Study objectives: Behavioral sleep medicine (BSM) is a subspecialty that combines behavioral psychology and sleep medicine specialties. The objective of this study was to analyze referral patterns to a BSM clinic. The 3 specific aims were: (1) describe factors that predict referral acceptance, (2) identify barriers to attending initial appointment, and (3) describe variables associated with the number of visits attended.

Methods: Retrospective chart reviews were conducted as part of a quality improvement project by this study team's clinical setting. Adults over 21 years of age who were referred to a BSM clinic in an urban Midwestern academic health care system between 2014 and 2019 were included in this study.

Results: Sleep medicine was the main referral source for patients with BSM (74.2%), followed by internal medicine (9.3%) and neurology/psychiatry (7.3%). Thirty-eight percent of patients did not schedule an appointment after a referral for BSM was initiated. Younger age, longer distance from clinic, commercial insurance, and out-of-network insurance were all significantly greater for nonschedulers. Eighty-three percent of patients did attend the initial intake session with BSM providers. Older age was associated with lower likelihood of not attending scheduled BSM appointments.

Conclusions: Patient characteristics of older age, closer distance from clinic, and in-network insurance coverage were found to significantly increase the likelihood of BSM scheduling, while younger age, Black race and not getting a primary sleep disorder diagnosis (vs a diagnosis of insomnia disorder) and shorter days from referral to appointment were associated with an increased likelihood of not attending the scheduled BSM treatment engagement.

Citation: Chernyak Y, Ofner S, Williams MK, Bolarinwa C, Manchanda S, Otte JL. Patient accessibility and utilization of behavioral sleep medicine referrals in an academic center. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(11):1793-1806.