[COMMUNITY, HOSPITAL AND IN-BETWEEN: QUALITY MEASURES FOR THE CONTINUITY OF CARE].

Introduction: The southern district of Clalit Health Services and Soroka University Medical Center are combined in an organizational configuration: the Southern Region. The Region has developed joint programs in order to advance the quality of medical care whilst optimizing the utilization of available resources. An objective continuous method of assessment was needed to evaluate the continuity of care between the community and the hospital.

Diabetes control in the Bedouin population in southern Israel.

Background: The Bedouins in the Negev are a population in transition from traditional nomadic to a western sedentary lifestyle, characterized by changes in dietary habits and reduction in physical activity, with substantial changes in morbidity patterns. To describe the current state of diabetes prevalence and control among the Bedouin population in the Negev and to compare it to the non-Bedouin population.

Material/methods: A cross-sectional study was performed utilizing the database of Clalit Health Services.