FDB and Big Health collaborate to increase patient access to digital therapeutic for sleep problems
Over the past three months, FDB has been running a trial with Big Health and NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board (ICB) using its OptimiseRx solution to give prescribers access to Sleepio for patients alongside or instead of medications used to improve sleep. The trial has been successful to date, with the option to offer access to the Sleepio intervention accepted by prescribers in over a quarter of instances. Deployment in OptimiseRx has enabled a precision approach, ensuring that the Sleepio recommendation is made for only the most appropriate patients, minimising over-alerting, and maximising clinical impact.
Following the recent NHS announcement that Sleepio is now available to all ICBs in England at no cost, FDB is committed to supporting this initiative by extending the option of Sleepio-related prescribing messages to all ICB customers. FDB’s newest solution, AnalyseRx, is also identifying patients for whom Sleepio may be used to reduce their risk of developing sleep disorders and requiring medication as well as those who may want to consider reducing or stopping long term use of potentially harmful medicines.
Sleepio: NICE-recommended treatment for insomnia
Sleepio, developed by Big Health, is a digital treatment based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for insomnia, accessed online or via a smartphone app. Sleepio offers patients weekly sessions of CBT alongside a daily sleep diary and a library of practical techniques to tackle poor sleep. It has been evaluated in numerous clinical trials and is clinically proven to help individuals improve their sleep patterns. Sleepio helps patients to understand the underlying causes of sleepless nights, provides strategies to reduce insomnia symptoms, and ultimately enhances overall well-being. Notably, Sleepio is the only digital treatment for insomnia recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as an effective alternative to traditional sleeping pills.
Precision Messaging for Targeted Patient Benefit
FDB’s ongoing commitment to patient-specific prescribing extends to its Sleepio-related prescribing messages. During the recent trial OptimiseRx messages were presented for patients coded for insomnia or those about to be prescribed certain hypnotic drugs who also met certain health criteria. Importantly, FDB’s deep knowledge and experience in SNOMED CT and informatics ensured that messages only displayed for the most appropriate patients, reducing the quantity of alerts. By excluding patients for whom this intervention may not be appropriate, FDB is able to enhance patient safety, clinical outcomes and streamline decision-making for healthcare professionals.
Tim Langran, Associate Director of Medicines Optimisation at NHS Frimley ICB, expressed enthusiasm for the Sleepio rollout:
“We have seen promising results from our use of Sleepio. It is great to have an alternative route of access to CBT for people with problems sleeping. Our work on reducing hypnotic prescribing has indicated a clear need for such an evidence based intervention and uptake has been good within Frimley ICS. Prescribers like having another option to prescribing hypnotics and we continue to see reductions in prescribing. This is supported by the messages in OptimiseRx. We are pleased with the uptake of Sleepio by prescribers via their routine use of OptimiseRx and welcome the move to make Sleepio-related messages available to colleagues in other NHS ICBs.”
Darren Nichols, Managing Director at FDB stated:
“We are proud to join forces with Sleepio to enable NHS ICBs to maximise uptake of the latest NICE recommendation to provide patients with access to a digital therapy for insomnia. OptimiseRx and AnalyseRx provide platforms through which a novel approved digital therapeutic intervention like this can be rolled out quickly at scale as another prescribing option.”
Will Goddard, UK Managing Director at Big Health commented:
“Thanks to the NHS making Sleepio available nationwide in England, patients can access NICE-recommended first-line treatment for insomnia at the touch of a button, and clinicians can offer a safe alternative to sleeping pills. Our partnership with FDB will seamlessly integrate Sleepio into clinical workflows up and down the country and ultimately help people to improve their sleep and overall health.”
About FDB
FDB (First Databank) creates and delivers the world’s most powerful drug knowledge that ignites, inspires, and illuminates critical medication decisions. We collaborate with our partners to help improve patient safety, operational efficiency, and health outcomes. Our solutions drive healthcare information systems that serve the majority of hospitals, GP practices, pharmacies and many other areas of healthcare and are used by thousands of clinicians every day. For a complete look at our solutions and services, please visit https://www.fdbhealth.co.uk/, or follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.
About Big Health
Big Health is the leading developer of digital treatments for common mental health conditions. Founded in the UK in 2010, Big Health's mission is to help millions back to good mental health by making psychological care accessible at scale. Designed by leading clinical experts and backed by 13 randomised controlled trials, Sleepio™ for insomnia and Daylight™ for worry and anxiety are among the world’s most evidenced digital mental health treatments, delivering gold-standard care based on cognitive behavioural therapy.
