[Long-term management of the diabetic patient: what is important?]

Diabetes mellitus ist a typical example of a chronic disease that requires life-long treatment by a team of various specialists including physicians. It is essential for optimal quality of life to develop an individually tailored treatment programme together with the diabetic patient and his/her social partner(s). The problems, that have to be taken into account include the various clinical symptoms of diabetes related as well as non-diabetic diseases typical for the multimorbid Type 2 diabetic patient with increasing age. In addition, problems of the active cooperation by the diabetic patient and inadequate reactions and acceptance by the social environment have to be resolved. For the necessary interactions of all persons involved in the diabetes longterm treatment altered organisational structures with new requirements for the quality of care of diabetic out- and inpatients are being developed.