The necessary evolution of diabetes fellowships in the United States.

The number of Americans affected by diabetes continues to increase but the number of endocrinologists with specialty training to treat this population has not kept up with demand. Primary care outpatient visits can also not meet the projected diabetes population demands or the needs for other complex diabetes management issues. Treatments for diabetes including both medications and technologies continue to expand and become more complex.

Primary Care Diabetes Fellowship Programs: Developing National Standards.

The rapid and constant increase in the number of people living with diabetes has outstripped the capacity of specialists to fully address this chronic disease alone. Furthermore, although most people with diabetes are treated in the primary care setting, most primary care providers feel under-prepared and under-resourced to fully address the needs of their patients with diabetes. Addressing this care gap will require a multifaceted approach centering on primary care training in diabetes and its complications.