Insomnia afflicts about half of outpatients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and worsens prognosis. We aimed to simulate the potential socioeconomic savings of integrating group cognitive–behavioural therapy for insomnia (gCBT-I) into cardiac outpatient care for patients with CHD compared with usual care.

Early health technology assessment using prospective and cross-sectional cohort data.

Secondary care for outpatients with CHD in Norway in a non-university hospital setting.

A hypothetical cohort of 100 outpatients with CHD and insomnia.

Weekly sessions of gCBT-I over 5 weeks versus usual care.

Potential savings related to possible effects on revascularisations and hospitalisations due to a recurrent CHD event, and reduced sick leave. Representative data on healthcare consumption and sick leave rates were collected from the NORwegian CORonary cohort study (n=528). Costs of productivity loss were drawn from public sources and calculated using a conservative human capital approach. Estimates of therapeutic effectiveness in conveying insomnia remission by gCBT-I were informed by results from randomised trials and meta-analyses.

Rates of healthcare consumption and sick leave were higher in outpatients with CHD and insomnia compared with those without insomnia. Our model indicated that treating 100 patients with gCBT-I would cost 2406. If patients treated with gCBT-I show similar rates of revascularisations and hospitalisations as those without insomnia, there is a maximum potential saving of 117,221 per 100 patients tied to healthcare consumption. Similarly, the maximum potential savings related to reduced productivity loss from sick leave range from 53,244 to 692,172.

Treating insomnia among outpatients with CHD has the potential for substantial reduction of socioeconomic costs related to healthcare consumption and sick leave. Implementation into routine outpatient care seems relevant, but randomised controlled trials investigating the effects of gCBT-I in this population are warranted.