Establishing priorities for diabetes action goals according to key opinion leaders and health professionals.

Background: The ever-increasing burden of diabetes and the limited resources highlight the need for prioritization of national action goals for diabetes management. The Israeli National Diabetes Council (INDC) initiated a prioritization process aiming to set a top list of diabetes related goals, as suggested by decision makers and health professionals.

Methods: A 2-step prioritization process, including a small (n = 32) circle of key opinion leaders of the INDC and a larger (n = 195) nationwide circle of diabetes health professionals consisting of physicians, nurses, and dieticians working in diabetes care centers, hospitals and family practice clinics, was established.

[The crucial encounter between technology and medicine].

The technological revolution has characterized the past fifty years of medical care. Innovations in health services have dramatically improved patients' quality of life and longevity while reducing the rate of hospitalization and enhancing productivity. Nevertheless, it is clear that modern technological advances both represent and claim a large portion of current health expenditures.