Cough Therapy via Telehealth
Welcome to our virtual clinic
Telehealth offers convenient, private and effective health care delivery. And it’s easier than you might think.
Telehealth cough therapy takes place in much the same way as for patients in-clinic, with many patients preferring this method of treatment delivery due to its ease and convenience. Consultations occur over a video-call on your computer, tablet or smartphone and from the comfort of your home or workplace. Audio-only telephone consultations are also an option and can be useful for those without video capability or when video connection is unstable.
At The Cough Clinic, we first look to exclude or account for potential organic causes before commencing rehabilitative cough therapy. Your care may involve facilitation of ENT nasendoscopy or referral to a wider medical care team to instigate unexplored work-ups such as lung function tests, chest imaging and reflux testing. Such referrals are more likely if you have not been reviewed by a medical specialists in the last 12 months. Rehabilitative treatment is then coordinated by an experienced cough clinician with advanced training in middle airway irritability, chronic cough and laryngeal disorders. Our approach builds on the compelling evidence and success of cough therapy, with multi-disciplinary oversight from in-house Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) surgeons. Written reports are provided to your GP to provide the highest quality, multidisciplinary care.
How does COUGH THERAPY work?
Chronic cough therapy is essentially an airway desensitisation program with supplementary treatment of associated conditions and potential causes, such as inducible laryngeal obstruction, acid or non-acid reflux, and voice disorders. Treatment is non-intrusive and seeks to moderate cough reflex sensitivity by optimising throat/airway hygiene, progressively attenuating the stimulation of cough receptors, and improving both the awareness and control of cough.
Cough clinicians are university trained allied health professionals with qualifications in speech pathology and advanced training in middle/upper airway disorders. We take clinical evidence seriously. Cough therapy is an evidence-based program with science at its core.
AVOID COUGHING IN WAITING ROOMS
The advent of COVID-19 has increased the social stigma associated with coughing in public and telehealth offers a welcome alternative to face-to-face consultation, together with an opportunity to commence treatment quickly, privately and with reduced risk of transmission.
NO NEED TO DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE
You do not need to download any software if using your computer. An invitation with a link to join an online video call will simply be emailed to you. We use an online video conferencing platform that is free and easy to use. Call us if you have any questions.
TELEHEALTH EVIDENCE
Telehealth is offered in the client's functional environment where they communicate on a daily basis, which is considered best practices in many areas of rehabilitation (McCue, Fairman, & Pramuka, 2010) and is supported by the World Health Organization intervention framework (World Health Organization, 2001). The literature suggests that quality of service through telehealth produces similar clinical outcomes when compared with in-person services across neurogenic communication disorders, fluency disorders, voice disorders, dysphagia, and childhood speech and language disorders (Hill & Theodoros, 2002; Lowe, O'Brian, & Onslow, 2013; Mashima & Brown, 2011; Mashima & Doarn, 2008; Swanepoel & Hall, 2011; Theodoros, 2008; Wales, Skinner, & Hayman, 2017). In some cases, the telehealth method was superior to the in-person method by increased service efficiency, treatment satisfaction (Burns, Ward, et al., 2017), and improved treatment outcomes for children (Towey, 2012b).