Assessing Current Knowledge of Hearing Impairment With Diabetes by Surveying Providers With CBDCE Certification

The purpose of this study was to assess current knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding hearing impairment and screening referrals in patients with diabetes among providers who have a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CBDCE) Certification.

A cross-sectional survey created through Qualtrics was emailed to health care providers in the United States with CDCES certification. Providers responded regarding knowledge and importance of hearing impairment compared to other diabetes complications, when they would refer a patient to an audiologist, the percentage of patients referred, and awareness of over-the-counter hearing aids. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all questionnaire items.

One thousand four hundred and ninety-five CDCES providers completed the survey. Participants selected the most common conditions associated with diabetes as kidney dysfunction (96.7%), retinopathy (96.5%), obesity (95.6%), and foot infection (94.5%); 44.5% chose hearing impairment. Over 60% of providers were not familiar with how to refer patients to an audiologist and acknowledged being unfamiliar with recommended screening frequency as the most common barrier. Most providers had referred fewer than 20% of patients to an audiologist. Over half of providers were not aware of over-the-counter hearing aids.

Among a national sample of health care providers with comprehensive knowledge in diabetes care, many providers do not associate hearing impairment with diabetes and rate other microvascular complications of higher importance.