Patients' Perceptions of Reasons Contributing to Delay in Seeking Help at the Onset of a Diabetic Foot Ulcer: A Grounded Theory Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore patients' perception of reasons contributing to delay in seeking help and referral to a wound care specialist at the onset of a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU).

Design: Constructivist grounded theory study.

Subjects and setting: The sample comprised 30 individuals with active DFU attending a wound care clinic in southeastern Ontario, Canada.

Methods: Participants were selected through purposive and theoretical sampling. Semistructured interviews were conducted with participants until no new properties of the patterns emerged. All interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using methods informed by constructivist grounded theory.

Results: The reasons contributing to delay to seek help and referral to a wound care specialist were (1) limited knowledge about foot care, (2) unaware of diabetic foot problems, (3) underestimation of ulcer presentation, (4) I thought I could fix it myself, (5) inaccurate diagnosis, and (6) trial and error approach by a nonspecialized wound care provider.

Conclusions: Study findings suggest that patients and primary healthcare providers need additional education regarding the management of diabetic foot disease and DFU.