[Community care of diabetic patients--in the family practice, in specialized diabetic clinics or in cooperation?].

Type 2 diabetes is a common chronic illness with many complications, entailing enormous expenditures health services. In the Western world, diabetes is the most common cause of amputations of the lower limb, end stage renal failure and blindness amongst 18-65 year olds. The care of the diabetic patient is multi-faceted and the long term compliance of the patient is essential. In the last decade there is an ongoing heated debate regarding how treatment and care should be provided to diabetics and by whom. "Shared care" between the family physician and the specialist diabetes clinic is becoming more popular in an attempt to raise standards of care while reducing costs. The aim of the current review is to evaluate management modalities of the diabetic patient and its' applications to the Israeli health system.