Non-compliance with growth hormone treatment

To get an idea on the compliance of our patients treated with growth hormone and on any problems relating to therapy administration we conducted an anonymous questionnaire in 204 patients/parents. 174 evaluable forms (85%) were returned to us. The acceptance of treat ment turned out to be satisfactory: 91% of the families found the therapy practicable, but 15% of mothers and 10% of fathers expressed doubts on its effectiveness. 36% of the families admitted to having left out injections occasionally. 88% of the reasons offered for non-compliance were banal and unserious, and in only 6% were there suggestions for therapy improvement indicating the need for more education and instruction. Thus, the day-to-day inconvenience appears to be an important aspect restricting therapy compliance. The intense medical care and education of patients and their families is essential in improving their compliance with treatment.