As the proportion of both minority populations and people aged 60 and older increases in the United States, and the obesity epidemic continues, people with diabetes are becoming a larger part of the practices of family physicians and other primary care clinicians. Health care professionals involved in new or expanding diabetes care practices can use these guiding principles to ensure that they provide essential components of comprehensive diabetes care. In addition, health care payers, managed care organizations, and large employers can use this information to establish diabetes care principles and to assure quality diabetes care and treatment options in health.
