Health care for persons with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus - The German experience

A structured treatment and education program for patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) who are not taking insulin was developed, evaluated, and implemented at the primary health care level throughout Germany. The program is based on the definition of individual and pragmatic therapeutic goals for each patient, primarily using nondrug treatment, which includes systematic glycosuria self-monitoring by the patients and four structured sessions of group education held in a general practitioner's office. After documentation of the program's efficacy in a randomized, controlled trial and several pilot projects, the program has been officially incorporated into the general German health care scheme and includes payment to practicing physicians for each patient treated. More than 12 500 primary health care physicians have participated in special 2-day postgraduate courses given by diabetologists; these courses are a precondition to participating in the program. As part of the primary health care scheme, the NIDDM program will be continuously monitored for quality control and efficiency. Currently, similar structured treatment and education programs targeted to primary health care physicians are being introduced for both insulin-treated NIDDM and arterial hypertension.