Adherence and Patient Satisfaction in Children Receiving Long-Acting vs. Daily Growth Hormone Therapy: A Single-Center Study

Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in children is a significant medical condition that impairs growth and development, necessitating early intervention to mitigate potential long-term health consequences. This study aimed to assess aspects of the treatment experience, primarily focusing on adherence and patient satisfaction, as well as health-related quality of life in pediatric patients receiving long-acting growth hormone (LAGH) versus daily growth hormone (dGH) therapy. It highlights Somapacitan’s potential to revolutionize treatment adherence in affected children, offering a promising future for pediatric endocrinology. The study was conducted over 24 months at the Pediatric Endocrinology Outpatient Clinic in collaboration with King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A retrospective cohort study included 494 pediatric patients diagnosed with GHD who received LAGH versus dGH. Key outcomes included increased levels of adherence and patient satisfaction with LAGH, with a statistically significant difference at P < 0.05. The patients had a mean age of 11.29 years, with a predominantly male population (64.6%). A large proportion of patients, 46.6%, received LAGH, and 60.5% had been receiving growth hormone therapy for more than 12 months. Early observations following LAGH reveal a substantial and statistically significant increase in adherence (99.56%) and patient satisfaction with the frequency of injection ( P  = 0.000). Additionally, improvement was noticed in health-related quality of life, self-esteem, and socialization, favoring LAGH. A weekly dosing regimen reduced the burden of daily injections, leading to higher adherence rates and patient satisfaction, thus improving patients’ health-related quality of life.