Chronic Cough? Try an Internet Clinical Trial . . .

A British group has developed the possibility to diagnose and treat patients with chronic cough, using expert consultation with a specialist. The entire process takes place online. This new approach was presented to the European Respiratory Society by the inventors, who hail from Castle Hill Hospital in UK.

The idea (greatly simplified) is that anyone with a chronic cough that has lasted 2 months or longer can enroll online. Based on specific answers to questions, the ‘team’ or ‘system’ will make a diagnosis, and suggest treatment. This may be for an over-the-counter medication. If it’s for a prescription drug, the team will make this proposal via the participant’s family doctor. They will then contact the participant after a given period to see if the treatment was successful.

If you suffer from a chronic cough, you may want to try this system. Go to the Online Cough Clinic and start the procedure. But don’t forget that this type of ‘clinical trial’ is a poor substitute for a visit to your family doctor – it’s just probably cheaper. . .