Diagnosis and treatment gestational diabetes mellitus: results of the survey of practitioners
Shestakova T.P., Bunak I.V.

M.F. Vladimirskiy Moscow Regional Research and Clinical Institute, Moscow

Background: a survey of a random sample of practitioners (endocrinologists, gynecologists, physicians) was performed to assess the practical value of novel diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes in real-world clinical settings.
Aim: to assess the awareness level of the Russian Consensus “Gestational diabetes mellitus: diagnosis, treatment, and postnatal follow-up” in practitioners of various specialties (endocrinologists, gynecologists, physicians) using authors’ questionnaire.
Patients and methods: the survey was performed among 75 practitioners, i.e., 37 endocrinologists (49%), 23 gynecologists (30.6%), and 15 physicians (19.4%). Author’s questionnaire was based on the Consensus.
Results: more than a half of practitioners (44 persons, 58.7%) have given more than 70% of right answers. Therefore, awareness level of gestational diabetes is rather high. Endocrinologists have given more right answers (70%) than physicians (61.5%) and gynecologists (43.5%) (p = 0.05). Most wrong answers were on pregnant women who required glucose tolerance test (61.3%) or endocrinologist follow-up (75%). Endocrinologists have given more wrong answers on risks for a pregnant and for a child associated with gestational diabetes as compared with gynecologists (p = 0.009). Gynecologists have given more wrong answers on diagnostic tests (р < 0.001), blood glucose self-control (p = 0.02), and diagnosis of manifest diabetes in pregnancy (p = 0.02).
Conclusions: 58% of practitioners have given more than 70% of right answers on the key items of the Consensus of diagnosis and treatment of gestational diabetes. Right answers depended on the medical specialty, i.e., endocrinologists were better informed of diagnostic criteria for diabetes and blood glucose self-control while gynecologists were better informed of pregnancy outcomes in diabetes.

Key words: gestational diabetes, pregnancy, novel criteria, diagnostics, treatment, questionnaires.

For citation: Shestakova T.P., Bunak I.V. Diagnosis and treatment gestational diabetes mellitus: results of the survey of practitioners // RMJ. 2016. № 20. P. 1351–1356.