I-SLEPT: Integrated Sleep and Life Engagement Program for Transitions (I-SLEPT)

June 23, 2026 updated by: VA Office of Research and Development
Sleep is essential to functional recovery in rehabilitation settings; however, sleep is likely to be disrupted during rehabilitation admissions. Adverse effects of these disruptions do not subside after discharge, leading to additional consequences such as poor physical function. Veterans are particularly impacted by poor sleep and medical complexities that can lead to injuries requiring rehabilitative care to support their recovery. This may be more apparent in older Veteran populations. After discharge, Veterans must re-acclimate to their home environment while facing potential changes in their sleep, life engagement (e.g., pleasant activities, physical function), and health. This study will create the I-SLEPT (Integrated Sleep and Life Engagement Program for Transitions) intervention, which will support Veterans by stabilizing their sleep and by maximizing participation in meaningful activities during a critical and vulnerable period of recovery.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This project will create I-SLEPT (Integrated Sleep and Life Engagement Program for Transitions), a novel intervention to enhance sleep health and life engagement during the transition period following discharge from VA subacute rehabilitation. The development of I-SLEPT will be informed by both Veterans and experts. Including the Veteran perspective is essential to reflect Veterans' choice, ensure access to timely care, and prioritize effective care solutions to improve Veterans' health and well-being. Veterans are more likely to report poor sleep and medical complexities than non-Veterans which may further complicate their readjustment to their home environment after discharge. The proposed study is a single arm clinical trial. Veterans aged 50+ discharged home from the subacute rehabilitation units at VA Boston's Community Living Center will be recruited to complete surveys and interviews informing I-SLEPT creation (Aim 1; N=20), complete a preliminary trial (Aim 2; N=5) or complete a single-arm Proof-of-Concept trial (Aim 3; N=40). Veterans participating in Aims 2 or 3 will complete assessments of sleep health and life engagement, as well as acceptability measures. Results may also inform future work adapting this intervention to other transitional phases (e.g., discharge from acute hospitalization), support Veterans across the lifespan, and support intervention implementation by staff from multiple disciplines and specialties, including nursing, social work, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and Veteran peer specialists.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02130-4817
        • Recruiting
        • VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus, Jamaica Plain, MA
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Julia T Boyle, PsyD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Admitted to and discharged from VA Boston Community Living Center subacute rehabilitation
  • English-speaking
  • Discharged to a home setting
  • Has capacity and does not have severe cognitive impairment
  • Obtains a score >= 8 on the Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS)
  • Endorses at least 2 items as "Rarely/Never" or "Sometimes" on the RuSATED measure AND/OR endorses they are achieving their goals at a "much worse" or "a little worse" level on the What Matters Most Tool.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Discharged from Long-Term Care, Hospice and Palliative Care, or Spinal Cord Injury bed specialty
  • Moderate to severe dementia diagnosis, delirium, or active psychosis
  • Healthcare proxy is activated in electronic health record
  • A diagnosis of a disorder of hypersomnolence, non-REM parasomnia, or Nightmare Disorder as indicated in electronic health record
  • High acute risk for suicide

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: I-SLEPT
Veterans in Aim 3 will complete I-SLEPT, a 4-week telehealth intervention, delivered by a licensed clinical psychologist. Sessions will take place once a week for 60 minutes primarily using VA Video Connect. Sessions will include components focused on 1) promoting sleep health through education and habits and 2) increase engagement in meaningful activities.
Behavioral: I-SLEPT
Veterans in Aim 3 will complete I-SLEPT, a 4-week telehealth intervention, delivered by a licensed clinical psychologist. Sessions will take place once a week for 60 minutes primarily using VA Video Connect. Sessions will include components focused on 1) promoting sleep health through education and habits and 2) increase engagement in meaningful activities.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
RuSATED
Time Frame: Baseline, Endpoint (30 day), 3 Month
A brief 6-item measure encompassing the dimensions of sleep health: Regularity, Satisfaction, Alertness, Timing, Efficiency, and Duration. Scores range from 0 to 12 with higher total scores suggesting better sleep health. Items are rated on a 3-point scale from 0 to 2 (with 0 = Rarely/Never; 1 = Sometimes; and 2 = Usually/Always).
Baseline, Endpoint (30 day), 3 Month
What Matters Most (WMM) Tool
Time Frame: Baseline, Endpoint (30 day), 3 Month
A one-page brief tool presenting 3 domains (Staying Independent, Enjoying Life, and Connecting), each containing a list of 9 items with the option of adding a 10th item of their own. Veterans will be asked to identify up to 3 items within each domain that matters most to them. After up to 9 items total have been identified, Veterans will be asked to "pick the most important thing" and describe what this would look like for them "day to day or week to week." Veterans will be encouraged to pick up to 3 things that matter most above all. Finally, Veterans are asked to rate how well they are achieving their life engagement goals and what matters most to them, employing a 5-point Likert-style goal attainment scale (+2 = much better than expected; +1 = a little better than expected; 0 = as expected; -1 = a little worse than expected; -2 = much worse than expected). A score of 0-2 indicate satisfactory goal attainment in the area of life engagement.
Baseline, Endpoint (30 day), 3 Month
Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM)
Time Frame: Endpoint (30 day)
A 4-item measure that assess acceptability, defined here as the perception that I-SLEPT is acceptable, palatable, or satisfactory. Items are scored as follows: 1 - completely disagree; 2 - disagree; 3 - neither agree nor disagree; 4 - agree; 5 - completely agree. Total scores are from 4 to 20 with higher scores indicating better acceptability of the intervention.
Endpoint (30 day)
Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM)
Time Frame: Endpoint (30 day)
A 4-item measure that assesses feasibility defined here as the extent to which the session material can be successfully used - defined as from the Veteran's perspective of applying what is learned after the session. Items are scored as follows: 1 - completely disagree; 2 - disagree; 3 - neither agree nor disagree; 4 - agree; 5 - completely agree. Total scores are from 4 to 20 with higher scores indicating better feasibility of the intervention.
Endpoint (30 day)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM)
Time Frame: Endpoint (30 day)
A 4-item measure that assesses appropriateness, defined here as the Veteran's perspective on the perceived fit, relevance, or compatibility of session material to the Veteran's sleep health and life engagement concerns. Items are scored as follows: 1 - completely disagree; 2 - disagree; 3 - neither agree nor disagree; 4 - agree; 5 - completely agree. Total scores are from 4 to 20 with higher scores indicating better appropriateness of the intervention.
Endpoint (30 day)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
VA Office of Research and Development

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Julia T Boyle, PsyD, VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus, Jamaica Plain, MA

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 22, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 31, 2031

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 31, 2031

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 19, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 19, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 26, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 23, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • RRD9-010-25M
  • 1IK2RD000347-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract: RRDT)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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