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Patient preferences for growth hormone treatment in Japanese children

Toshiaki Tanaka1, Takahiro Sato2, Akira Yuasa3

  • 1Tanaka Growth Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.

Pediatrics International : Official Journal of the Japan Pediatric Society
|April 30, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Japanese children and caregivers prefer weekly recombinant-human growth hormone (r-hGH) injections over daily ones. Preferences also favored room-temperature storage and dose-setting memory devices for improved treatment adherence.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric endocrinology
  • Patient-reported outcomes
  • Pharmacoeconomics

Background:

  • Limited data exists on patient and caregiver preferences for recombinant-human growth hormone (r-hGH) injection methods in Japan.
  • Understanding these preferences is crucial for optimizing treatment adherence and quality of life in children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantitatively evaluate factors influencing preferences for daily r-hGH injections among Japanese children with GHD or their caregivers.
  • To determine the relative importance of various treatment delivery factors in the Japanese context.

Main Methods:

  • A web-based discrete choice experiment (DCE) questionnaire was administered to Japanese children with GHD or their caregivers.
  • Choice-based conjoint analysis was employed to analyze the relative importance of attributes and calculate utility scores.

Main Results:

  • The injection schedule was the most significant factor, with a preference for once-weekly over daily injections.
  • Patients prioritized room-temperature storage (even with reconstitution) over caregivers.
  • Both groups preferred devices with dose-setting memory.

Conclusions:

  • A less frequent injection schedule (weekly) is likely to improve adherence to r-hGH treatment.
  • Optimizing injection frequency and device features can enhance long-term quality of life for GHD patients.
Abstract

Keywords:
childrenconjoint analysisdiscrete choice experimentgrowth hormone deficiencypatient reported outcome

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