TABLE 5.
Rating# of item importance as a quality indicator for cough clinical service¶
| Rating | |||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| Presence of clinicians with expertise in cough management | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.8 | 96.2 |
| Accessibility to spirometry | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.6 | 92.4 |
| Accessibility to chest X-ray | 0 | 0 | 1.9 | 5.7 | 92.4 |
| Quantification of treatment response at follow-up consultation using established tools | 0 | 1.9 | 0 | 28.3 | 69.8 |
| Quantification of baseline cough severity or impact using established tools | 0 | 0 | 3.8 | 35.8 | 60.4 |
| Accessibility to cough control therapy (or speech language and pathology therapy) | 0 | 0 | 7.6 | 35.8 | 56.6 |
| Accessibility to FENO | 0 | 0 | 17.0 | 26.4 | 56.6 |
| Accessibility to blood eosinophils | 1.9 | 3.8 | 9.4 | 22.6 | 62.3 |
| Accessibility to chest CT scan | 3.8 | 1.9 | 5.7 | 28.3 | 60.4 |
| Participation in clinical trials for novel cough therapies | 0 | 0 | 9.4 | 43.4 | 47.2 |
| Adherence to the agreed procedures defined by national and/or international consensus in patient management | 0 | 1.9 | 11.3 | 37.7 | 49.1 |
| Multidisciplinary team meeting | 0 | 5.7 | 18.9 | 34.0 | 41.5 |
| Accessibility to allergy skin test (or serum specific IgE test) | 3.8 | 3.8 | 18.9 | 32.1 | 41.5 |
| Accessibility to methacholine challenge test | 5.7 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 34.0 | 41.5 |
| Accessibility to sinus imaging | 7.6 | 7.6 | 15.1 | 22.6 | 47.2 |
| Accessibility to laryngoscopy | 1.9 | 5.7 | 24.5 | 32.1 | 35.9 |
| Accessibility to nasal endoscopy | 1.9 | 11.3 | 24.5 | 26.4 | 35.9 |
| Accessibility to bronchoscopy | 7.6 | 7.6 | 11.3 | 41.5 | 32.1 |
| Accessibility to 24-h oesophageal pH | 3.8 | 9.4 | 15.1 | 49.1 | 22.6 |
| Accessibility to high-resolution oesophageal manometry | 7.6 | 7.6 | 22.6 | 47.2 | 15.1 |
| Accessibility to GI endoscopy | 11.3 | 15.1 | 22.6 | 34.0 | 17.0 |
| Accessibility to sputum eosinophils | 15.1 | 15.1 | 18.9 | 28.3 | 22.6 |
| Accessibility to cough challenge test | 15.1 | 15.1 | 26.4 | 32.1 | 11.3 |
| Accessibility to mannitol challenge test | 9.4 | 24.5 | 28.3 | 35.9 | 1.9 |
Data are presented as response %. FENO: fractional exhaled nitric oxide; CT: computed tomography; GI: gastrointestinal. #: 5-point Likert scale (0–4), ranging from “not important at all” (0) to “neutral” (2) and “very important” (4); ¶: original question: Please rate the importance of each item as a quality indicator for cough clinical service. Accessibility to a certain test or therapy means that it can be done at the site or by referral.