Refer your patient to OHIP-covered CBT for insomnia

with Matt Desruisseaux, MD, PhD, CCFPDownload a one-pager for patients / staff

Referral (by MDs/NPs) is optional. It gets you a consult report and avoids the outside use for family physicians in FHOs for the initial visit (subsequent visits trigger no negation because it's group therapy). For clarity, FHO docs, if you refer you'll have zero negation - confirmed by MOH & experience.

Specialists, please refer if the patient has a family physician, to avoid penalizing them.

Sleep clinics, please refer and ideally attach your most recent note.

✓ adults with valid OHIP

✓ able to make the initial visit in downtown Toronto, currently Wednesdays 8-4pm

✓ able to use the Internet to book, answer a questionnaire and attend video sessions

✓ any subjective sleep difficulty: insomnia, sleep deprivation, dissatisfaction with sleep quality, etc.

✓ can have an underlying condition like OSA, pain, depression, anxiety or an addiction, but you need to manage these separately, e.g., order a sleep study, refer to psych, etc. I only offer group CBT for insomnia and I cannot guarantee rapid access

✓ motivated to try CBT-i instead of, or in combination with, a medication for insomnia - which I may suggest but will not prescribe myself

Steps to refer

  1. Fax (416) 777-9365, email refer@sleepdoc.ca, or use the encrypted form below. Include your billing # as well as the patient's name and health card # with version code

  2. Ask the patient to self-book by calling (416) 777-9355. They won't be contacted and we don't send appointment notifications

  3. Highlight to the patient that the intake is in-person, at Integra Health, 130 King St W., 36th floor, and currently only on Wednesdays 8-4pm


Please note that we may recommend private individual therapy instead, especially for patients with insurance.