Guidelines for the diagnosis and outpatient management of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Guidelines on the out-patient management of diabetic peripheral neuropathy have been developed from an international consensus meeting attended by diabetologists, neurologists, primary care physicians, podiatrists and diabetes specialist nurses. A copy of the full document follows this summary (Appendix 1). The document arose out of suggestions from Neurodiab, a subgroup of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, that there was a need for guidelines developed by consensus, for the outpatient management of patients with diabetic neuropathy. An international consensus group was created, chaired by two of the authors. A pilot working party met in 1995, followed by a full working party of 39 experts, neurologists and diabetes physicians (Appendix 2). This compiled a draft guideline document which was circulated to a number of international bodies. After consultation with its members, the final guidelines were approved by Neurodiab (chairman F.A. Gries) towards the end of 1997.