Recommendations

Document Overview

Design and created by Guideline Central in participation with the American College of Chest Physicians.

Tools For Assessing Outcomes In Studies Of Chronic Cough

American College of Chest Physicians

Publication Date: Mar 1, 2015

Page Last Updated: May 5, 2026

Grading Recommendations

Grade	Description
1	Recommendation: indicates confidence that the benefits of the intervention clearly outweigh harms.
2	Suggestion: indicates greater uncertainty: although the benefits of the statement are still viewed as outweighing the harms, balance of benefits and harms is more difficult to judge, or the benefits or the harms may be less clear. With a suggestion, patient values and preferences may be more variable, and this can influence the clinical decision that is ultimately made.
Grade	Strength of Evidence
A	High: high confidence that the evidence reflects the true effect. Further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect.
B	Moderate: moderate confidence that the evidence reflects the true effect. Further research may change our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate.
C	Low: low confidence that the evidence reflects the true effect. Further research is likely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate.

Document Overview

Document Title: Tools For Assessing Outcomes In Studies Of Chronic Cough

Authoring Society: American College of Chest Physicians

Document Publication Date: Mar 1, 2015

Page Last Reviewed/Updated: May 5, 2026

Document Type: Guideline

Country of Publication: United States

Full Text Freely Available: Yes

Full Text Guideline: journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(15)39679-3/fulltext

Source Citation: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.14-2506

Document Scope, Criteria, and Use Cases

Document Objectives: Since the publication of the 2006 American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) cough guidelines, a variety of tools has been developed or further refined for assessing cough. The purpose of the present committee was to evaluate instruments used by investigators performing clinical research on chronic cough. The specific aims were to (1) assess the performance of tools designed to measure cough frequency, severity, and impact in adults, adolescents, and children with chronic cough and (2) make recommendations or suggestions related to these findings.

Scope: Assessment and Screening, Management, Treatment

Diseases/Conditions (MeSH)

D003371 - Cough

D063868 - Patient Outcome Assessment

D063189 - Symptom Assessment

D003371 - Cough

D063868 - Patient Outcome Assessment

D063189 - Symptom Assessment

Keywords: assessment, chronic cough

Target Patient Population: Adults and child with cough

Inclusion Criteria: Female, Male, Adolescent, Adult, Child, Older Adult

Health Care Settings: Ambulatory, Hospital, Outpatient, School

Intended Users: Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Physician, Physician Assistant

Recommendation Development Processes & Methodology

Supplemental Methodology Resource: Data Supplement

Number of Source Documents: 111

Literature Search Start Date: Monday, June 4, 2012

Literature Search End Date: Friday, November 1, 2013

Includes peer/external review process?: Yes

Includes public comment process?: Yes

Methodologist involvement?: Yes

Patient involvement?: No

Includes multi-disciplinary group?: Yes

Includes systematic review?: Yes

Grades quality of strength of evidence?: Yes

Grades quality of strength of recommendation?: Yes

Discloses funding source?: Yes

Discloses conflicts of interest?: Yes

Includes benefits/harms analysis with recommendations?: Yes