Diabetes and skin health: a statewide survey on Ohio healthcare providers’ knowledge

Objectives With increasing rates of diabetes, there is an increased incidence of diabetes skin conditions, yet the extent to which healthcare professionals are aware of these skin conditions is unclear. The purpose of this study was to assess Ohio healthcare providers’ (HCPs) understanding of diabetes dermatological manifestations, which can serve as early indicators of diabetes and impact diabetes management.Methods An online survey was distributed from February 2025 to March 2025 to collect data on demographics, frequency of dermatological issues in practice, screening practices, self-efficacy, knowledge of diabetes-related skin conditions, and preferences for further education, with 167 Ohio HCPs surveyed. Survey distribution included mass e-mails sent through the Clinical and Translational Research Unit (CTRU) by University Communications and Marketing (UCM) at Ohio University, individual e-mails to Ohio professional societies for physician assistants and nurse practitioners, and posts on social media.Results Importantly, 66.5% of participants were early career HCPs with 10 years or less of experience. Participants were nurse practitioners (28.7%), physician assistants (15.6%), resident physicians (26.3%), and attending physicians (29.3%). Regarding diabetes technology, 61.1% of the sample stated they rarely encountered patients with skin reactions from diabetes technology. Notably, over half of respondents (56.3%) received a score of 50% or less on the dermatology and diabetes knowledge test and only 41.9% of respondents reported moderate confidence in diagnosing diabetes dermatologic manifestations.Conclusion These findings suggest potential knowledge gaps on the topic, which warrants further evaluation of the quality of diabetes care and patient outcomes. These results may help inform educational efforts for HCPs to enhance overall knowledge of dermatologic manifestations of diabetes. Further studies should assess knowledge and practice patterns among primary care healthcare professionals.