Monitoring Chronic Cough in Patients at Night A Pilot Study on Smartphone App Usability

Abstract

By Paige Dixon, Speech Language Hearing Sciences; Lauren Humpert; 

Advisor: Victoria McKenna

Presentation ID: 260

Abstract: Chronic cough, defined as daily cough that last longer than 8 weeks, is a common clinical problem that affects approximately 5% of individuals in the United States. However, there are few objective measurements to assess the frequency and severity of the cough or to help track treatment progress. The long-term goal of our work is to develop a phone app that will monitor a person's cough at home. The present research study aims to (1) Gather audio data to assist in future acoustic cough detection algorithm development and (2) Assess the participants perceptions of using an app at home. Thus far, 3 subjects (Mean age = 64 years, 1 male, 2 female) have enrolled in a 3-day long monitoring study in which they record their sleep at night and noted cough events. Participants slept an average of 6.06 hours, reported 0-3 cough events per night and a score of 12.04 on the Leicester Cough Questionnaire, indicating a negative impact of cough on daily life. Our preliminary results showed high comfort and usability ratings, with a Likert ratings of 4.93/5 and 5/5, respectively. The participants were asked about using a monitoring app during the day and a lower Likert average of 3/5 was observed, due to concerns about privacy. Apps on a smartphone device are a feasible way for patients to provide quantifiable data on their chronic cough while asleep but more information is needed on how to protect privacy when using apps during the day.