People with diabetes have fewer complications and require fewer hospitalizations when they are managed by a team of healthcare professionals instead of a primary care provider alone, according to a new report from the National Diabetes Education Program.

In the report, diabetes experts say that team care integrates the skills of different healthcare professionals with those of the patient and family into a comprehensive management program. "Diabetes is a chronic disease that cannot be managed successfully with sporadic, reactive or after-the-fact care," said Dr. Charles Clark, an author of the report. "If diabetes care is to achieve the health benefits that modern science has made possible, it must be continuous, proactive and planned," he said.

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