1486-P: Preparedness for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Care among Health Care Professionals: A Nationwide Survey

Introduction and Objective: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) requires specialized multidisciplinary care, yet healthcare professionals’ preparedness for GDM care remains insufficiently described. This study assessed GDM-related knowledge, perceived difficulties, and support needs using a nationwide web-based survey, and identified factors associated with GDM care competence among nurses. Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed 1,100 healthcare professionals recruited from a nationwide web-based panel (nurses, midwives, public health nurses, registered dietitians, pharmacists). Participants not currently working in their profession were excluded. The survey assessed GDM knowledge, involvement in care, perceived difficulties, and preferred support tools. Logistic regression analyses among nurses examined factors associated with GDM care competence. Ethical approval and electronic informed consent were obtained. Results: Preparedness varied across professions. Nurses most frequently reported insufficient or unclear knowledge, whereas midwives reported the highest knowledge levels and involvement in care. Other professions showed heterogeneous knowledge, with gaps in perinatal and neonatal complications. Difficulties were commonly reported, particularly regarding dietary counseling, self-management support, psychosocial care, insulin instruction, and multidisciplinary collaboration. A strong need for GDM support tools was reported across professions, with preferences for digital media, mobile applications, and online communities. Among nurses, greater GDM competence was associated with experience in diabetes or obstetric departments and employment in larger hospitals, whereas the contribution of years of clinical experience was limited. Conclusion: Significant gaps in preparedness for GDM care exist across healthcare professions. Scalable, digitally enabled, team-based support systems may enhance multidisciplinary collaboration and improve the quality and consistency of GDM care. Disclosure A. Nishimura: None. A. Hayashi: None. N. Tanaka: None. M. Azuma: None. S. Harashima: None. Funding JSPS KAKENHI (JP23K21551 and JP25K02923)