[Five years of changes in diabetic eye notebooks].

Purpose: To compare 5 years transition of recognition, utilization, and purpose accomplishment in a diabetic eye notebook.
Methods: A questionnaire survey regarding the diabetic eye notebook was conducted with ophthalmologists and physicians in 10 prefectures of 9 areas in 2003 and 2008.
Results: The reply ratio of the questionnaire survey was 26% for ophthalmologists and 26% for physicians. The recognition and utilization ratio of diabetic eye notebook was significantly increased. The recognition and utilization ratio of diabetic eye notebooks in physicians was lower than in ophthalmologists. The improvement of cooperation of medical treatment, patients' understanding and consciousness of diabetic eye complications, and counter-measures of dropout by using diabetic eye notebooks have increased, but the significant difference was not.
Conclusions: Although the recognition and utilization of diabetic eye notebooks has increased, there is still insufficient accomplishment of their purpose. There is a need for more elucidation of the importance of these notebooks not only for ophthalmologist but also for physicians and certified diabetes educators.