PATIENT-REPORTED VARIABLES ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUCCESS OF BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC COUGH

Author

Bridget LoomisFollow

Year of Award

2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Name

Speech-Language Pathology

Department or School/College

Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders

Committee Chair

Laurie Slovarp

Commitee Members

Amy Glaspey, Daniel Lee

Keywords

chronic cough, behavioral cough therapy, Leicester Cough Questionnaire, laryngeal hypersensitivity, speech-language pathology, cough suppression, nonpharmacological intervention

Subject Categories

Allergy and Immunology | Family Medicine | Medical Education | Otolaryngology | Primary Care | Pulmonology | Rehabilitation and Therapy | Speech Pathology and Audiology | Sports Medicine

Abstract

Purpose: To determine if patient-related variables exist that can potentially discriminate patients with refractory chronic cough (RCC) that are reasonable candidates for behavioral cough therapy (BCT). This study is a small sub-set of a larger, ongoing study, which aims to create and validate a screening tool that primary care physicians can use in order to refer patients early and appropriately for medical or behavioral intervention.

Methods: In this prospective, exploratory study, 20 adult participants, aged 29-68 years of age, answered a bank of questions developed by an expert panel, and the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), before and after BCT. Questions pertained to symptoms, personality characteristics, and cough triggers. Data were gathered using Qualtrics survey software. Participants were separated into groups following data collection according to their satisfaction with BCT.

Results: Twelve participants indicated they were satisfied with the status of their cough (BCT-S) and eight participants were not satisfied (BCT-NS). Non-parametric statistical analyses revealed significant differences between the groups on the following variables: difficulty breathing in, urge to throat clear, productivity of cough, perceiving reflux/heartburn, blocked-throat feeling, feeling anxious, and carrying stress in neck/shoulders. There were also significant differences in domain scores of the LCQ.

Conclusion: The current study provides preliminary evidence that suggests that there are differences in patient-reported variables associated with success of BCT. These results indicate the potential to create and validate a screening tool that would assist with identification of candidates for BCT.

Recommended Citation

Loomis, Bridget, "PATIENT-REPORTED VARIABLES ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUCCESS OF BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC COUGH" (2016). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 10726.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/10726