ArticleTherapeutic advances in respiratory disease
Patient-reported experiences with refractory or unexplained chronic cough: a qualitative analysis.
Article in Therapeutic advances in respiratory disease. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Challenges and Burdens in Refractory Chronic Cough: Patients' and Physicians' Perspectives.Pulmonary therapy · 2026Review
- Article
- Reduced cough severity and improved confidence in self-management following completion of a Virtual Physiotherapy Group Intervention for Chronic Cough: ViP-Cough.ERJ open research · 2026Article
- Real-World patterns of Korean medicine and combined Korean-Western medicine use in patients with chronic cough at Korean medicine institutions: a nationwide cohort study.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2026Article
- Health-Related Quality of Life in Chronic Cough: A Comparative Analysis With Other Chronic Diseases.Allergy, asthma & immunology research · 2026Article
- Quality of Life Impairment in Patients With Chronic Cough: How Does It Compare to Other Chronic Conditions?Allergy, asthma & immunology research · 2026Article
- Association between heavy metal exposure and chronic cough: the mediating roles of inflammation.Annals of medicine · 2025Article
- Telehealth group behavioural cough-suppression therapy for refractory chronic cough using a rolling enrolment model.ERJ open research · 2025Article
- Demographics, risk factors and prevalence of chronic cough in Asian general adult population: a narrative review.Journal of thoracic disease · 2025Review
- Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting cough variant asthma diagnosis.BMC pulmonary medicine · 2025Article
- An exploration of clinically meaningful definitions of cough bouts.ERJ open research · 2024Article
- Content validity of the Leicester Cough Questionnaire in adults with refractory or unexplained chronic cough: a qualitative interview study.Therapeutic advances in respiratory diseaseArticle
- Emotions in patients with refractory or unexplained chronic cough: a multicenter, non-interventional study.Therapeutic advances in respiratory diseaseArticle
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChronic cough, defined as a cough lasting 8 or more weeks, affects up to 10% of adults. Refractory chronic cough (RCC) is a cough that is uncontrolled despite comprehensive investigation and treatment of comorbid conditions while unexplained chronic cough (UCC) is a cough with no identifiable cause despite extensive evaluation of comorbid conditions. RCC and UCC are often poorly controlled. Understanding individuals' lived experience of the symptoms and impacts of these conditions may guide therapeutic strategies.
objectivesThe primary objectives of this study were to assess respondents' perceptions of the key symptoms of RCC and UCC and the impacts of RCC and UCC and their symptoms on well-being, health-related quality of life, work productivity, and social relationships.
designQualitative study.
methodsThis study enrolled 30 adults with physician-diagnosed RCC or UCC. Two trained qualitative researchers conducted individual, in-depth telephone interviews using a semi-structured interview guide. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded, and systematically analyzed to identify content themes.
resultsA total of 15 respondents with RCC and 15 with UCC were included in the study. Many respondents had RCC or UCC for a long duration (median 9 years, range: 0-24). Half of the respondents reported having a coughing episode at least once daily. Only 40% of respondents reported that medication had improved their symptoms. In over half of the respondents, RCC or UCC hindered communication, caused embarrassment, frustration, and worry, and lowered quality of life. Perceptions of meaningful treatment benefits in RCC or UCC varied widely across respondents.
conclusionRCC and UCC remained poorly managed in many individuals and were associated with a wide range of symptoms and cough triggers that hindered daily activities and reduced emotional well-being. Understanding individuals' lived experiences may inform the development of RCC and UCC therapeutic strategies.
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