Physicians need to inform parents about the limited effectiveness of growth hormone therapy in satisfying the treatment goals of children with idiopathic short stature.
A physician's role in controlling the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs includes educating patients about the harms associated with these drugs and encouraging them to adopt safe and appropriate training programs.
When serving an ethnically diverse population, it is imperative that physicians have an understanding of a patients' cultural background and attitudes towards health, nutrition and personal care.