Exploring health professionals' knowledge, practices and attitudes regarding gestational diabetes: A cross-sectional Irish national survey

Abstract

Aim: Gestational diabetes confers short- and long-term risk of mother and offspring health complications. Healthcare professionals such as endocrinologists, diabetes nurses, dietitians, midwives and general practitioners provide gestational diabetes care. We sought to explore healthcare professionals' perspectives on gestational diabetes care during pregnancy and postpartum.

Methods: Healthcare professionals in the Republic of Ireland, whose role included gestational diabetes care were invited to complete an online 20-item survey between June and September 2022. Social media, professional organisations and personal networks were used for recruitment. Questions included guideline use, postpartum diabetes screening and advice practices. Analyses were performed using SPSS statistical software and free text was coded using NVivo.

Results: Seventeen healthcare professions across primary and secondary care settings participated (n = 127). No differences were noted between groups (medical, nursing/midwifery, allied health/other); therefore, findings were reported as a single group. Healthcare professionals reported using multiple different guidelines to support gestational diabetes management (n = 14). The most cited were 'Health Service Executive guidelines' (24.5%), 'local guidelines' (13.2%) and National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines (11.3%); 12.3% cited uncertainty, and 27.5% reported not to follow any named guidelines. For postpartum follow-up, 39% felt clear guidelines were available to support practice, 37% felt appropriate systems were in place and 29% reported effective communication between primary and secondary care services. Qualitative findings emphasised a desire for improved communication between systems, participants and providers, clear interdisciplinary guidelines, and adequate resourcing for gestational diabetes management and postpartum diabetes prevention, including comprehensive support and follow-up.

Conclusion: System-level challenges and ineffective communication across settings are barriers to optimum postpartum care. Nationally agreed guidelines for best practice gestational diabetes management including postpartum diabetes prevention are needed.

Keywords: gestational diabetes; guidelines; postpartum; prevention; type 2 diabetes.