Literature review of type 2 diabetes mellitus among minority Muslim populations in Israel

This review surveys the literature published on the characteristics and implications of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) for the Arab andBedouin populations of Israel. T2 DM is a global health problem. The rapid rise in its prevalence in the Arab and Bedouin populations in Israel is responsible for their lower life expectancy compared to Israeli Jews. The increased prevalence of T2 DM corresponds to increased rates of obesity in these populations. A major risk group is adult Arab women aged 55-64 years. In this group obesity reaches 70%. There are several genetic and nutritional explanations for this increase. We found high hospitalization rates for micro and macrovascular complications among diabetic patients of Arab and Bedouin origin. Despite the high prevalence of diabetes and its negative health implications, there is evidence that care and counseling relating to nutrition, physical activity and self-examination of the feet are unsatisfactory. Economic difficulties are frequently cited as the reason for inadequate medical care. Other proposed reasons include faith in traditional therapy and misconceptions about drugs and their side effects. In Israel, the quality indicators program is based on one of the world's leading information systems and deals with the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes. The program's baseline data pointed to health inequality between minority populations and the general population in several areas, including monitoring and control of diabetes. Based on these data, a pilot intervention program was planned, aimed at minority populations. This program led to a decrease in inequality and served as the basis for a broader, more comprehensive intervention that has entered the implementation stage. Interventions that were shown to be effective in other Arabic countries may serve as models for diabetes management in the Arab and Bedouin populations in Israel.

How do family doctors choose their own family doctor?

Background and objectives: The medical care that doctors receive is different than that of individuals who are not in the medical profession. The objective was to assess how family doctors in the Negev region chose their own doctors. Methods: 103 family doctors in the southern region of Israel completed a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire that included sociodemographic data and how doctors choose their own doctors. Results: The study population included 103 family doctors with a mean age of 44.7±9.8, of them 65 women (63.1%). Most of the participants (69.9%) were born in the former Soviet Union and completed their medical studies there (71.8%). Thirty two (31.4%) were specialists in family medicine and 42 (41.2%) were residents in family medicine. For most of the participants the gender and age of their treating physician were not important (74.8% and 63.1%, respectively). The treating physician’s level of expertise was very important to 87.4%. Only half consulted a colleague before choosing a physician. Their personal connection to the treating physician was very important to 46 (44.7%). Female doctors were more likely to choose a female physician com-pared to males (P=0.025). Residents were more likely to consult a colleague than specialists before choosing a treating physician (P=0.023). Female doctors are more likely than male to care for themselves both for chronic and acute conditions. Conclusions: Choosing a treating physician is a subjective process with each doctor having individual requirements and ex-pectations. The factors that most influenced the choice of treating physician were professional skills and specialization.