SOMNUS Trial: Can EHR Nudges Curb Inappropriate Z-Drug Prescribing in Primary Care? A Behavioural Intervention Study Clinicians Should Know
247 Health News Editorial
·13 July 2026
·5 min read
·clinical-trialsThe SOMNUS Trial is testing whether simple EHR-embedded nudges — including a default pill quantity reduction and an accountable justification alert — can reduce inappropriate Z-drug prescribing in primary care. With 444 clinician-participants enrolled at Northwestern Medicine, this behavioural intervention study could offer a scalable blueprint for systems-level prescribing reform. Results are anticipated by 2027–2028.
Originally reported by ClinicalTrials.gov
References
- 1.University of Southern California. (2024). The study in outpatient medicine using nudges to improve sleep: The SOMNUS trial (NCT06640023). ClinicalTrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06640023
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- 3.Qaseem, A., Kansagara, D., Forciea, M. A., Cooke, M., & Denberg, T. D. (2016). Management of chronic insomnia disorder in adults: A clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Annals of Internal Medicine, 165(2), 125–133. https://doi.org/10.7326/M15-2175
- 4.American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria Update Expert Panel. (2023). American Geriatrics Society 2023 updated AGS Beers Criteria for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 71(7), 2052–2081. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.18372
- 5.Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2008). Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. Yale University Press.
- 6.Riemann, D., Baglioni, C., Bassetti, C., Bjorvatn, B., Dolenc Groselj, L., Ellis, J. G., Espie, C. A., Garcia-Borreguero, D., Gjerstad, M., Gonçalves, M., Hertenstein, E., Jansson-Fröjmark, M., Jennum, P. J., Leger, D., Nissen, C., Parrino, L., Paunio, T., Pevernagie, D., Verbraecken, J., … Spiegelhalder, K. (2017). European guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia. Journal of Sleep Research, 26(6), 675–700. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12594
- 7.Sacarny, A., Barnett, M. L., Le, J., Tetkoski, F., Yokum, D., & Agrawal, S. (2018). Effect of peer comparison letters for high-volume primary care prescribers of quetiapine in older and disabled adults: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 75(10), 1003–1011. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.1867
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247 Health News Editorial
247 Health News is a medical intelligence platform delivering evidence-based research appraisals, clinical trial monitoring, and health technology news for healthcare professionals.
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