Qualitative Analysis Of The Effects Of a Speech Therapy Intervention Protocol In Cases Of Refractory Chronic Cough

Objective: To analyze the perception of individuals with refractory chronic cough (RCC) regarding the effects of speech therapy cough management protocols. Method: This was a quasi-experimental study (approved by the Research Ethics Committee 5,491,436). Nine individuals with RCC participated. The participants underwent two speech therapy cough management protocols: the Therapy Program for Management of Chronic Cough (TMCC) and the Speech Pathology Intervention Program for Chronic Cough (SPEICH-C), each lasting four weeks. Participants were followed for a period of three months. Semi-open interviews were conducted to collect data on the participants’ perception of the effects of the interventions on their cough and quality of life three months after the intervention. Data were analyzed according to Discourse Analysis (DA) theory. DA is a qualitative approach aimed at exploring, systematizing, and understanding the content of data, involving categorization into units of record, definition of thematic categories, and interpretation of results. DA allows for extracting underlying meanings and patterns from textual data. Results: DA revealed a variety of emerging themes. Participants described perceiving a reduction in the frequency and intensity of cough after implementing speech therapy cough management protocols. Most of them reported an improvement in quality of life, highlighting a decrease in fatigue, discomfort, and anxiety associated with RCC. Conclusion: The results suggest that speech therapy cough management protocols had a positive impact on the management of chronic cough and the participants’ quality of life. The qualitative approach allowed for a deeper understanding of patients’ experiences. This study highlights the importance of considering the patient’s perception in evaluating intervention protocols for health symptoms, specifically RCC, where perceiving changes in quantitative measures is challenging.