CHESTLearning & EventsBridging SpecialtiesTimely Diagnosis and Treatment for Refractory Chronic Cough
Bridging Specialties on a tablet and laptop

Bridging Specialties®: Timely Diagnosis and Treatment for Refractory Chronic Cough

When chronic cough persists, it can take a significant toll on patients’ daily lives. Many patients wait up to 24 months before receiving a diagnosis of refractory chronic cough (RCC).

Our educational resources on RCC offer primary care physicians, pulmonologists, and advanced practice providers essential tools for accurate diagnosis and effective management to help close care gaps and improve outcomes.

Self-paced online learning

Interactive infographic

Guideline-Directed Interactive Infographic on Refractory Chronic Cough

This interactive clinical reference guides clinicians through a structured, guideline-directed approach to RCC across four key domains: epidemiology and disease burden, the CHEST diagnostic pathway, current evidence-based treatment options, and the emerging therapeutic pipeline. Embedded clinical guidance is provided at each step.

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Screenshots of the Decision-Making for NTM-B on a computer and tablet

From Evaluation to Management in Refractory Chronic Cough: An Adaptive Case Simulation

Explore the case of a 41-year-old middle school teacher whose four-month chronic cough has disrupted her sleep, her classroom, and her daily life. You’ll conduct a history, select physical exam elements, order and interpret diagnostic testing, and work through a CHEST guideline-directed workup. The case adapts in real time, presenting you with tailored decision points.

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On-demand videos

An animated video on a laptop screen

Understanding the Mechanisms of Refractory Chronic Cough

This animated video traces the neurobiological pathways that drive RCC, from peripheral sensory activation to central cough hypersensitivity. Gain a visual foundation for understanding why the cough reflex becomes dysregulated in patients with RCC.

A tablet showing a screenshot of an RCC webinar with Sandy Ferguson

Sandra’s Story: A Patient Journey in Refractory Chronic Cough

Sandra Ferguson spent 18 years searching for answers. In this short video, she shares what it was like to live with a cough that disrupted her work, relationships, and sense of self while cycling through providers, treatments, and dead ends without a diagnosis.

A laptop showing webinar participants on a tablet

Diagnostic Challenges in Refractory Chronic Cough: From Burden to Solutions

Explore the diagnostic challenges of RCC and practical strategies for guideline-directed, coordinated evaluation. This video podcast offers clinicians tools to streamline workup, reduce unnecessary repetition, and support timely multidisciplinary care.

A laptop showing a digital activity

Breaking the Code: Mechanisms and Future Therapies for Refractory Chronic Cough

Advances in understanding ATP-P2X3 signaling and neural mechanisms have informed new therapies. This activity reviews the neurobiology of cough hypersensitivity.

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STEERING COMMITTEE

Sandhya Khurana, MD, FCCP

Sandhya Khurana, MD, FCCP

Professor, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Director, Mary Parkes Center for Asthma, Allergy, and Pulmonary Care
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY

Syed Shahzad Mustafa, MD

Syed Shahzad Mustafa, MD

Division Head, Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology
Rochester Regional Health
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Rochester, NY

Ashley Wilk, DO, DipABLM

Ashley Wilk, DO, DipABLM

Clinical Associate Professor
Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Detroit, MI

Eric Merrell, MD

Eric Merrell, MD

Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellow
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
University of Rochester Medical Center
Rochester, NY

G. Todd Schneider, MD-MS

G. Todd Schneider, MD, MS

Associate Professor of Otolaryngology
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY

CHEST gratefully acknowledges the following supporters of Bridging Specialties: Timely Diagnosis and Treatment for Refractory Chronic Cough
This activity is supported in whole through an unrestricted educational grant from GSK.