Maintaining persistence and adherence with subcutaneous growth-hormone therapy in children: comparing jet-delivery and needle-based devices

Interventions Designed to Improve Adherence to Growth Hormone Treatment for Pediatric Patients and Their Families: A Narrative Review

Even though growth hormone (GH) treatment is still the only active treatment option to correct growth failure and increase stature for patients with GH deficiencies, evidence has shown that non-adherence remains high. The aim of this review was to identify and review the existing interventional strategies that have been designed to address and improve adherence to GH treatment for pediatric patients and their families. An extensive search of several electronic databases was undertaken to identify relevant interventional studies, published in English, between 1985 and 2021. Additional search strategies included hand-searching topic review articles to identify eligible studies. Articles were screened against the inclusion eligibility criteria and data on sample characteristics, intervention features, and key findings was extracted. A total of fifteen interventional studies were included in the review. The interventions identified were divided into two broad categories: novel injection devices, and patient choice of device. In conclusions, this review acknowledges that there is a lack of evidence-based, theory-driven intervention strategies, designed with the purpose of optimizing treatment adherence and improve clinical and psychosocial outcomes.

Real-World Treatment Patterns and Outcomes of Growth Hormone Treatment Among Children in Israel Over the Past Decade (2004-2015)

Objective: To assess a decade of growth hormone (GH) treatment patterns and outcomes in a real-world setting in Israel using a state-of-the-art computerized database. Methods: This large retrospective database study included 2,379 children initiating GH treatment in Maccabi Healthcare Services (between January 2004 and December 2014). Good adherence with therapy (proportion of days covered >80%) was assessed during follow-up. Results: At GH treatment initiation: 62.1% were boys; height standard deviation score (SDS) was -2.36 ± 0.65 (mean ± SD); age was 9.8 ± 3.1 years; and time from short stature diagnosis to first GH purchase was 4.8 ± 3.3 years. Mean treatment period was 3.5 ± 0.95 years; 79.4% of children were treated for more than 3 years. The two main indications for GH therapy were idiopathic short stature (ISS) (n = 1,615, 67.9%) and GH deficiency (GHD) (n = 611, 25.7%). Children in the highest socio-economic-status (SES) tertile comprised 61.3% of ISS and 59.7% of GHD. After 3 years, mean height gain SDS was 1.09 ± 0.91 for GHD and 0.96 ± 0.57 for ISS (p = 0.0004). Adult height (age 15 for girls and 17 for boys) was recorded for 624 patients (26.2%) with better outcomes for GHD than ISS (-1.0±0.82 vs. -1.28±0.93, respectively; p = 0.0002). Good adherence was achieved in 78.2% of the cohort during the first year and declined thereafter to 68.1% during the third year of the treatment. Conclusions: Children who initiate GH therapy are predominantly male, belong mainly to the upper SES, commence treatment a long period after initial recognition of short stature, and have suboptimal adherence. Appropriate referral, diagnosis, and follow-up care may result in better treatment outcomes with GH therapy.

Adherence and long-term outcomes of growth hormone therapy with easypod™ in pediatric subjects: Spanish ECOS study

BACKGROUND

Non-adherence to r-hGH treatments occurs in a variable percentage of subjects. One problem found when evaluating adherence is the great variability in methods of detection and definitions utilized in studies. This study assessed the level of adherence in subjects receiving r-hGH with the easypod™ electronic device.

METHODS

National, multicenter, prospective and observational study involving 238 subjects (144 with GH deficiency (GHD), and 86 with small for gestational age (SGA), 8 with Turner Syndrome), who received r-hGH with easypod™ for at least 3 months before inclusion. The follow-up period was 4 years.

RESULTS

Overall adherence was 94.5%; 97.5% after 6 months, 95.3% after 1 year, 93.7% after 2, 94.4% after 3 and 95.5% after 4 years of treatment. No differences in adherence were observed between prepubertal and pubertal groups and GHD and SGA groups. Change in height after 1 and 2 years, change in height SDS after 1 and 2 years, HV after 1 year, HV SDS after at 1 and 4 years, change in BMI after 1 year and change in BMI SDS at 1 and 2 years showed significant correlation with adherence. No significant differences in adherence according to IGF-I levels were found in follow-up visits or between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The easypod™ electronic device, apart from being a precise and objective measure of adherence to r-hGH treatment, allows high compliance rates to be achieved over long periods of time. Adherence significantly impacts growth outcomes associated with r-hGH treatment.

Needle-Free and Needle-Based Growth Hormone Therapy in Children: A Pooled Analysis of Three Long-Term Observational Studies

BACKGROUND

Treatment with growth hormone (GH) is standard clinical practice in children with GH deficiency (GHD) or Turner syndrome (TS). Hitherto, no long-term data on auxological outcome and safety of Zomacton® have been published. Data comparing needle-free administration (NF) and needle injection (NI) of GH are very sparse.

AIMS

To analyse longitudinal auxological outcome and safety data of GH treatment-naïve patients diagnosed with GHD or TS and to compare NF and NI in a real-life setting.

METHODS

Pooled auxological data and safety information from three consecutive prospective observational Zomacton® studies covering 22 years of treatment were analysed and NF was compared to NI.

RESULTS

The safety cohort comprised 1,595 patients who received at least one GH dose. The auxological outcome cohort comprised 856 treatment-naïve patients with follow-up data ≥12 months. Height-SDS and height velocity improved significantly during the first 3 years of treatment. Documented choice of device was available for 658 patients (NF 69.1%, NI 30.9%). NF administration was non-inferior to NI. No previously unknown safety signals occurred.

CONCLUSION

Real-life data show that treatment with Zomacton® improves auxological outcome parameters without new safety concerns. NF administration of GH represents a useful alternative to NI in children with growth disorders.

Categorizing factors of adherence to parenteral treatment in growth hormone deficiencies and hemophilia: What should be the targets for future research?

Adherence to treatment regimens in growth hormone dysregulations and hemophilia is related to better outcome and fewer complications over time. Subcutaneous growth hormone injection and intravenous blood factor replacement therapies are parenteral treatments with a comparable regimen calling for similar behavioral processes. Although we have lists of possible factors influencing adherence in these conditions, the evidence is scattered. The objective of this study was to systematically review empirical studies linking factors of adherence with measures of adherence. To categorize the factors, we used a taxonomy from the diabetes literature. We used four major electronic databases to identify articles. We synthesized 27 articles dated 2011-2017 corresponding to inclusion criteria. Results showed a consistent proportion of 20%-25% participants with adherent issues. Strong arguments pointed to the transition to self-care in pediatrics as a vulnerability period (7/27 reports). We found the domains of individual factors (<30% reports), relational factors (<13%), health care (<30%), to be understudied in comparison with that of demographic or clinical context (>74%), and practical issues (>37%). The results suggest that future research should focus on modifiable factors of adherence, with appropriate measurement and intervention strategies. One central methodological limitation of reviewed reports was the lack of longitudinal designs, and the quasi absence of behavioral trial targeting modifiable factors of adherence. A new research agenda should be set in these rare diseases as higher adherence should translate into improved outcome and better quality of life for patients and their families.