Enhancing Hypnotic Medication Discontinuation in Primary Care

NCT06435520 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: PHASE4 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 430

Last updated 2026-01-23

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Many individuals with insomnia seek treatment in primary care settings, where they often receive prescription hypnotic medications as their first and sometimes only treatment. However, extended use of these medications can lead to reliance and increased health risks, such as falls and cognitive impairments. While evidence-based approaches like physician-supervised medication tapering exist, they're not widely available in primary care.

Most primary care providers are willing to explore non-drug treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI), but accessing such treatments can be challenging outside of specialized sleep centers. This gap between research and practice underscores the need for cost-effective interventions to manage insomnia and help patients reduce their reliance on hypnotics in primary care.

In response to this need, the project aims to conduct a large randomized trial comparing a combined digital CBT (dCBTI) and medication tapering intervention with medication tapering alone. We'll recruit 430 patients reliant on hypnotics from 8-10 primary care clinics affiliated with the University of Colorado Medical School. The main goal is to assess the effectiveness of dCBTI+SMT compared to SMT alone in reducing hypnotic use and improving insomnia symptoms.

Additionally, we'll evaluate factors affecting the adoption and implementation of these interventions at the patient, provider, and system levels. This information will inform future implementation strategies to disseminate effective treatments in primary care.

Furthermore, we'll gather data to identify which patients benefit most from dCBTI+SMT. Overall, this study will provide valuable insights into the feasibility, clinical utility, and acceptability of these interventions in managing insomnia and reducing reliance on hypnotic medications in primary care. Ultimately, this project represents a crucial first step toward making accessible and cost-effective strategies available to improve the quality of life for millions of chronic users of sleep aids.

Conditions

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Adaptive cloud-based software delivering cognitive behavioral therapy tailored to the needs of the individual patient.

BEHAVIORAL

Structured Medication Tapering

A structured tapering of hypnotic (or other) medication to promote successful discontinuation by patients seeking to discontinue use.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Jewish Health

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
21 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-01-01
Primary Completion
2028-06-30
Completion
2029-06-30

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06435520 on ClinicalTrials.gov