RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Assessing cough symptom severity in refractory or unexplained chronic cough: findings from patient focus groups and an international expert panel
JF ERJ Open Research
JO erjor
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 00667-2021
DO 10.1183/23120541.00667-2021
VO 8
IS 1
A1 Elena Kum
A1 Gordon H. Guyatt
A1 Caroline Munoz
A1 Suzanne Beaudin
A1 Shelly-Anne Li
A1 Rayid Abdulqawi
A1 Huda Badri
A1 Louis-Philippe Boulet
A1 Ruchong Chen
A1 Peter Dicpinigaitis
A1 Lieven Dupont
A1 Stephen K. Field
A1 Cynthia L. French
A1 Peter G. Gibson
A1 Richard S. Irwin
A1 Paul Marsden
A1 Lorcan McGarvey
A1 Jaclyn A. Smith
A1 Woo-Jung Song
A1 Paul M. O'Byrne
A1 Imran Satia
YR 2022
UL http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/8/1/00667-2021.abstract
AB Background Cough symptom severity represents an important subjective end-point to assess the impact of therapies for patients with refractory or unexplained chronic cough (RCC/UCC). As existing instruments assessing the severity of cough are neither widely available nor tested for measurement properties, we aim to develop a new patient-reported outcome measure addressing cough severity.Objective The aim of this study was to establish items and domains that would inform development of a new cough severity instrument.Methods Three focus groups involving 16 adult patients with RCC/UCC provided data that we analysed using directed content analysis. Discussions led to consensus among an international panel of 15 experts on candidate items and domains to assess cough severity.Results The patient focus group provided 48 unique items arranged under broad domains of urge-to-cough sensations and cough symptom. Feedback from expert panel members confirmed the appropriateness of items and domains, and provided an additional subdomain related to cough triggers. The final conceptual framework comprised 51 items in the following domains: urge-to-cough sensations (subdomains: frequency and intensity) and cough symptom (subdomains: triggers, control, frequency, fit/bout duration, intensity, quality and associated features/sequelae).Conclusions Consensus findings from patients and international experts established domains of urge-to-cough and cough symptom with associated subdomains and relevant items. The results support item generation and content validity for a novel patient-reported outcome measure for use in health research and clinical practice.The urge-to-cough (subdomains: frequency and intensity) and cough symptom (subdomains: triggers, control, frequency, fit/bout duration, intensity, quality, and associated features/sequelae) represent domains to assess cough severity in RCC/UCC https://bit.ly/3fI6qkC