Adapting and Evaluating the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Behavioral Intervention to Promote Sleep Health in Cardiac Rehabilitation

Objectives: Study objectives were to: 1) iteratively adapt the Transdiagnostic Sleep and Circadian Intervention (TranS-C) for patients in cardiac rehabilitation (CR; Phase 1) and 2) conduct a preliminary single group pre-post intervention test to a) evaluate procedural feasibility and intervention acceptability and b) to explore preliminary pre-post changes in self-reported sleep, disability, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL; Phase 2). Method: In Phase 1, 12 individuals in CR and six content experts completed interviews to inform TranS-C adaptations. Interviews were analyzed using rapid qualitative analysis. In Phase 2, eight individuals in CR completed a baseline assessment, the adapted TranS-C intervention, and a post-intervention assessment. Intervention acceptability was assessed via questionnaire and interview. Sleep, disability, and HRQoL outcomes were assessed using questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were calculated for quantitative measures; interviews were analyzed using rapid qualitative analysis. Results: Phase 1 participants were receptive to the premise and structure of the adapted intervention. In Phase 2, participants endorsed positive attitudes toward the intervention. Seven of eight participants demonstrated improvements in sleep outcomes. Disability and HRQoL results did not consistently improve. Conclusion: The adapted TranS-C intervention was acceptable to CR patients and could yield improvements in subjective sleep outcomes. Larger-scale testing in CR is warranted.