Virtual assessment and management of chronic cough: A scoping review

Chronic cough is a frequent reason for seeking consultation with primary care providers. The recent widespread adoption of virtual care offers a promising alternative that can be used to optimize the assessment and management of this condition. The objective of this review was to map and identify the strategies used to assess and/or manage chronic cough virtually, and to explore their impact on cough severity and patient satisfaction with virtual care.

A scoping review was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL in May 2023. Research questions were defined based on the Population, Concept, Context mnemonic, and literature search was conducted using a three-step approach. Study selection involved the steps of identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion. A descriptive synthesis was performed, and quantitative variables were presented as absolute and relative frequencies.

A total of 4953 studies were identified and seven met the inclusion criteria. The following mHealth and telehealth strategies were identified: diagnostic website, specialized online clinic, online speech language therapy, and remote follow-up to assess the effectiveness of in-person interventions. Results indicated that these virtual strategies can be useful to assess chronic cough, treat, and track chronic cough symptoms. Overall, patients were satisfied with the approaches.

Although literature is scarce, evidence suggests that virtual strategies for the assessment and management of chronic cough may be effective and are well-received by patients. However, further research is needed to identify the type and characteristics of virtual approaches leading to optimize and facilitate the care of patients with this condition. This will also help develop a strong body of evidence to support their incorporation into guidelines and clinical practice.