Document resource
Introduction Prolonged waiting times significantly limited access to our respiratory physiotherapy service for cough suppression therapy. In response, we developed a virtual physiotherapy group intervention for individuals with chronic cough (ViP-Cough) to improve accessibility. The aim of this study is to describe both the uptake and potential benefits of this novel approach.Methods A retrospective observational cohort study, involving patients with chronic cough who were referred to respiratory physiotherapy for cough control therapy at a single centre. All referrals were assessed by a specialist physiotherapist and offered access to the ViP-Cough. ViP-Cough comprised a single group therapy session which included: (1) education and lifestyle advice; (2) cough control therapy; and (3) breathing pattern retraining and vocal hygiene.Patients completed outcome measures at baseline and four weeks following the group therapy session. These included: (1) a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for cough severity (range 0–10; higher scores indicating worse outcomes); and (2) an NRS for confidence in cough self-management (range 0–10; higher scores indicating better outcomes), both based on a seven-day recall period.Descriptive statistics [mean (standard deviation)] were used to describe those referred and opted into ViP-Cough. Paired samples t-tests were used to compare pre-post treatment scores.Results 194 individuals (153 female), aged between 25–87 years (median 61), were referred for physiotherapy for the treatment of refractory chronic cough. Of these, 70% reported experiencing cough symptoms for more than five years. Of those screened, 155 (80%) opted for ViP-Cough; however, 39 (25%) did not attend. Of the 116 who attended, 106 patients completed all assessments and were included in the final analysis.Patients that completed ViP-Cough demonstrated a significant reduction in their NRS cough severity scores [ pre 6.84 (1.93) vs post 5.58 (2.25); mean difference (95% CI) -1.26 (-0.82, -1.70), p<0.001]. Accompanied by a statistically significant improvement in confidence in cough self-management [pre 3.85 (2.34) vs post 6.01(2.16); mean difference (95% CI) 2.16 (1.64, 2.68), p<0.001].Conclusion ViP-Cough offers a promising approach for delivering non - pharmacological cough control therapy at scale, and lower cost. These preliminary positive findings warrant further testing in a randomised controlled trial.