Evaluating the TUITEK® patient support program in supporting caregivers of children diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency in Argentina

The TUITEK® patient support program improved caregiver-related behaviors on growth hormone treatment adherence

Background

Recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) can improve or normalize growth outcomes in pediatric patients with growth hormone deficiency, but poor adherence to the treatment regimen limits treatment effectiveness. TUITEK® is a multicomponent patient support program (PSP) designed to deliver support aimed at behavior change that is personalized to the needs of individual caregivers and patients throughout the treatment care pathway. The aim was to assess the impact of the TUITEK® PSP on knowledge, beliefs and perceptions of adherence to r-hGH treatment in high-risk caregivers.

Patients and methods

A prospective pre-post research was conducted across the combined population of caregivers of patients with short stature receiving r-hGH treatment in the TUITEK® PSP in Argentina, South Korea, and Taiwan. Caregivers who were categorized as high-risk based on suboptimal knowledge, beliefs and perceptions of factors influencing adherence to r-hGH treatment (disease and treatment coherence, emotional burden, self-administration, and treatment-related anxiety) were included in the analysis.

Results

In total, data from 409 caregivers were available. Involvement in the TUITEK® PSP resulted in a statistically significant (p<0.0001) positive change for all factors. Improvements were reflected in the number of caregivers who moved from high- to low-risk at the end of the TUITEK® PSP. The overall changes were reflected in the changes observed when data were analyzed for individual countries separately.

Conclusions

The TUITEK® PSP successfully improved key caregiver-related behaviors that may negatively impact adherence to r-hGH treatment and might improve adherence and therefore clinical outcomes.

The growzen™ buddy smartphone app to improve adherence in patients receiving recombinant human growth hormone therapy: a retrospective observational study in Argentina

Introduction

This study in Argentina evaluated the impact of the growzen™ buddy smartphone app on adherence to recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) treatment.

Methods

The adherence data, invitation dates with a link to the app, app activation dates, and height measurements entered were extracted from the growzen™ digital health ecosystem. Patients with 12 months of adherence data, aged ≥2 years at treatment start, and aged <19 years were selected both before and after app implementation. Mean adherence was classified as optimal (≥85%) versus suboptimal (<85%). Adherence before and after implementation and the pre-post effect on adherence were assessed.

Results

Data for 830 patients were available. Prior to app implementation, the proportion of patients with optimal adherence was 68% (n = 348/515). Following the app implementation, out of 315 patients, 302 (96%) received an invitation with a link to the app, 225 (71%) activated their account, and 127 (40%) entered height data in the first year. There was a significant early increase in the proportion of patients with optimal adherence following implementation: 82% (n = 258/315), p < 0.001. After implementation, the proportion of patients with optimal adherence included 80% (n = 78/98) of those with an active account who did not enter height measurements and 89% (n = 113/127) of those who did. There was a significant and positive pre-post app effect on adherence (p < 0.01) in patients with an active account.

Discussion

Our results show that using the growzen™ buddy app has a rapid and positive impact on adherence to r-hGH treatment, and patients who were more engaged with the app demonstrated better adherence.

[Management of transition growth hormone deficiency]

With an increasing understanding of growth hormone deficiency, there has been a growing emphasis on the management of transition growth hormone deficiency (TGHD) in clinical practice. The inadequate diagnosis and treatment of TGHD have been a major clinical concern, leading to the development of relevant guidelines and consensus internationally. This article summarizes the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and clinical challenges of TGHD based on these guidelines, consensus, and existing clinical studies, aiming to optimize and further improve the clinical diagnosis, treatment, and management of TGHD.