The healthcare experiences of people with chronic cough defined as cough that lasts eight weeks or longer have rarely been investigated in the UK. It can be difficult to tell the difference between those who visit the GP frequently for a long-term cough problem and those who have lots of short-term (acute) throat or chest infections. In an earlier study, we selected adults with at least one CPRD record of cough, throat or chest infection, or cough remedy over our study year (March 2014 to February 2015) and applied criteria in order to assess whether their cough was chronic or acute. In this follow-up study, we will count and cost these peoples prescriptions and GP and hospital visits over that study year. In addition, in people with chronic cough episodes, we will describe patterns of outpatient visits, investigations and new treatments that might be associated with these episodes. This research will enable us to ascertain the burden of chronic cough and who might benefit from any treatment developed for this condition.
This retrospective cohort study builds on an approach developed in a precursor study in order to discover chronic cough in CPRD data, given that it may not be recorded as such and the difficulty in distinguishing it from repeated acute cough. In the earlier study, we selected adult patients with at least one cough event (cough, cough remedy, or respiratory tract infection) in the study year (March 2014 to February 2015) and characterised their cough over the study year as acute or chronic, taking into consideration any cough events in the prior and subsequent year. In this study, we will describe and cost healthcare resource use and associated costs over this study year. In adults with incident chronic cough episodes, we will describe outpatient attendances and investigations before and after episode presentation, and drug initiations following the presentation of incident and succeeding episodes and subsequent outpatient attendances. Data will be summarised using descriptive statistics.
Primary and secondary healthcare resource use and associated costs; investigations undertaken in primary and secondary care; drug initiations following presentation of chronic cough and subsequent outpatient attendances; outpatient referral and attendance patterns
Haya Langerman - Chief Investigator - Merck Sharp & Dohme - UK
Sara Jenkins-Jones - Corresponding Applicant - Pharmatelligence Limited t/a Human Data Sciences
Bethan Jones - Collaborator - Pharmatelligence Limited t/a Human Data Sciences
Craig Currie - Collaborator - Cardiff University
Ellen Hubbuck - Collaborator - Pharmatelligence Limited t/a Human Data Sciences
Sarah Holden - Collaborator - Pharmatelligence Limited t/a Human Data Sciences
Surinder Birring - Collaborator - King's College London (KCL)
Bethan Jones - Collaborator - Pharmatelligence Limited t/a Human Data Sciences
Ellen Hubbuck - Collaborator - Pharmatelligence Limited t/a Human Data Sciences
Sarah Holden - Collaborator - Pharmatelligence Limited t/a Human Data Sciences
HES Admitted Patient Care;HES Outpatient