0296 Examining How Community Health Workers Can Support Engagement in Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia

Abstract Introduction Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (dCBT-I) shows promise for reaching people who experience insomnia but may not be willing or able to complete traditional in-person CBT. However, only approximately 50% of dCBT-I treatment components are completed. Community Health Workers (CHWs) are trusted members of the health workforce who could support engagement in dCBT-I. This poster examines how CHWs could help patients engage with and complete all dCBT-I components to improve sleep health. Methods We facilitated 8 focus groups via video conference with 29 CHWs who had at least 1 year of experience and were working with racial and ethnic minorities in a large urban city. In this poster, we focus on the interview question, “Can you describe how you would help patients using a digital [CBT-I] program, complete all the treatment cores?” Focus groups were transcribed and thematically coded and reviewed for consensus. Results The most frequent strategies that CHWs identified to support engagement with and completion of dCBT-I were: 1.) Technological Support, 2.) One-on-One Guidance, 3.) Reminders, and 4.) Incentives. Ideas for Technological Support most often involved helping get the participant set up and comfortable with the dCBT-I program. Further, CHWs described supporting the navigation of the program and promoting overall digital literacy. One-on-One Guidance consisted of goal setting, encouragement, and general support. Reminders involved regular check in’s – typically weekly – to assure progress and address barriers to completion. Incentives were seen as a way to reinforce progress and make the distal goal of better sleep more tangible in the short term. Ideas for incentives included gift cards, cash, and small gifts. Other themes that emerged included “selling” the effectiveness of dCBT-I – specifically through success stories, understanding and addressing hesitancy to engage with dCBT-I, and leveraging participant motivation to begin dCBT-I. Conclusion Digital CBT-I has the potential to reach racial and ethnic populations that cope with untreated insomnia. CHWs could play a critical role in helping these populations adopt and complete dCBT-I to address their insomnia, promoting sleep health equity. Support (if any) DePaul University, College of Science and Health’s Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation Initiative