Using the behaviour change wheel to develop a tailored intervention to overcome general practitioners’ perceived barriers to referring insomnia patients to digital therapeutic sleepio

Abstract

Abstract Background Digital therapeutic Sleepio has proven effective in improving sleep quality and decreasing symptoms of anxiety. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance recommends Sleepio as an alternative treatment to usual sleep hygiene education and hypnotic medications. General practitioners (GPs) play a critical role in the adoption of digital therapeutics in patient care. Previous interventions did not adopt theoretical frameworks to systematically understand GPs behaviour toward referring patients to digital therapeutics. Objectives This study aimed to report the systematic and comprehensive development of an intervention to encourage GPs to refer insomnia patients to Sleepio, using the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW). Methods The eight steps outlined in the BCW were followed to develop an intervention. The Capability Opportunity Motivation-Behaviour Self-Evaluation Questionnaire (COM-B-Qv1) was adopted to understand GPs perceived facilitators and barriers to refer insomnia patients to Sleepio. The Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy Version 1 (BCTv1) was thereafter used to identify possible strategies that could be used to facilitate changes in GPs’ behaviour in relation to Sleepio. Results The BCW design process resulted in the identification of five intervention functions, three policy categories and five behaviour change techniques (BCTs) as potential active components for an intervention. The intervention includes providing GPs with an orientation about using Sleepio to improve their knowledge and confidence, sending visual reminders to GPs to recommend Sleepio to their patients, providing ongoing technical support. Conclusion The BCW can be successfully applied through a systematic process to understand the drivers of GPs’ behaviour and to develop an intervention that can encourage them to refer insomnia patients to Sleepio.