The REST team have disseminated their findings as the project progresses. As well as several journal publications, the team have presented locally, nationally and internationally since the beginning of the project.
Journal Publications
Siriwardena AN,Qureshi Z,Gibson S,Latham M. Family doctors’ attitudes and behaviour to benzodiazepine and Z drug prescribing:a barrier to implementation of evidence and guidance on hypnotics. British Journal of General Practice 2006; 56:964-967
Siriwardena AN, Qureshi MZ, Dyas JV, Middleton H, Ørner R. Magic bullets for insomnia? Patients’ use and experience of newer (Zdrugs) versus older (benzodiazepine) hypnotics for sleep problems in primary care. British Journal of General Practice 2008; 58:417-22 (doi:10.3399/bjgp08X299290).
Siriwardena AN, Apekey T, Tilling M, Harrsion A, Dyas JV, Middleton H, Ørner R, Sach TS, Dewey M, Qureshi MZ. Effectiveness and cost effectiveness of an educational intervention for practice teams to deliver problem focused therapy for insomnia: rationale and design of a pilot cluster randomised trial. BioMed Central Family Practice 2009; 10:9 (doi:10.1186/1471-2296-10-9).
Dyas JV, Apekey T, Tilling M, Ørner R, Middleton H, Siriwardena AN. Patients’ and clinicians’ experiences of consultations in primary care for sleep problems and insomnia: a focus group study. British Journal of General Practice 2010; 60:329-333 (doi:10.3399/bjgp10X484183)
Siriwardena AN, Apekey T, Tilling M, Qureshi MZ, Dyas JV, Middleton H, Ørner R. General practitioners’ preferences for managing insomnia and opportunities for reducing hypnotic prescribing. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice 2010; 16: 731-737 (doi: 10,111/j.1365-2735.2009.01186.x).
Siriwardena AN. Why do general practitioners prescribe psychotropic drugs when they would rather provide alternative psychological interventions. British Journal of General Practice 60; 241-2 (doi: 10.3399/bjgp10X483878).
Apekey TA, McSorley G, Tilliing M, Siriwardena AN. Room for improvement? Leadership, innovation culture and uptake of quality improvement methods in general practice. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice 2011; 17: 311-318 (doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2753.2010.01447.x)
Middlemass J, Davy Z, Cavanagh K, Linehan C, Morgan K, Lawson S, Siriwardena AN. Integrating online communities and social networks with computerised treatment for insomnia: a qualitative study of service user and primary health care professional perspectives. British Journal of General Practice 2012 62: e840-850 (doi: 10.3399/bjgp12X659321).
Huedo-Medina T, Kirsch I, Middlemass J, Klonizakis M, Siriwardena AN. Effectiveness of non-benzodiazepine hypnotics in treatment of adult insomnia: meta-analysis of data submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. British Medical Journal 2012; 345: e8343 (doi: 10.1136/bmj.e8343).
Davy Z, Middlemass J, Siriwardena AN. Patients’ and clinicians’ experiences and perceptions of the primary care management of insomnia: qualitative study. Health Expectations 2013 early online (doi: 10.1111/hex.12119).
Kyle SD, Miller CB, Rogers Z, Siriwardena AN, MacMahon KM, Espie CA. Sleep restriction therapy for insomnia is associated with objectively-impaired vigilance: Implications for the clinical management of insomnia disorder. Sleep 2013 (accepted article).
I think that the REST project is a tremendous initiative. For years, sleep has been a rather neglected topic in the NHS. The REST project provides practical, evidence based help, and I would encourage GPs to make full use of it.
Professor Colin Espie
Since joining REST we have significantly changed our approach – we have reduced hypnotic prescribing by using alternative strategies including sleep diaries and simple CBTi techniques.
Dr Zubair Qureshi