Patient involvement in diabetes-related foot ulcers: What do patients need and prefer when undergoing treatment at multidisciplinary outpatient foot centres? A phenomenological hermeneutic study

Abstract

We adopted a qualitative descriptive design to gain a broad understanding of the experiences, needs and preferences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 patients with diabetes-related foot ulcers using an interview guide. Patients were recruited from the four multidisciplinary foot centres in the Eastern Danish Region of Zealand. The methodology utilised a phenomenological hermeneutical perspective, allowing participants to share their experiences. The data analysis was inspired by Paul Ricoeur's philosophy of text interpretation. Three themes were identified: (1) Becoming dependent on patient involvement to cope and comprehend, (2) Experiences and needs regarding the involvement of relatives and equals and (3) Being vulnerable and limited by diabetes-related foot ulcers while striving for normality. This study emphasised the complexity of, and the highly burdensome, life that the participants experienced living with treatment-required diabetes-related foot ulcers while needing individualised and family-centred approaches, which are highly dependent on the healthcare professionals' communication skills. One of the most crucial aspects of patient care is providing individualised and person-centred information. The information necessitates the enhancement of healthcare professionals' communication skills. By emphasising the need for family-centred strategies, we can improve health and well-being by involving patients, relatives and patients' networks as active team players in the care process.

Keywords: foot ulcer, diabetic; multidisciplinary; patient involvement; phenomenological hermeneutic; qualitative research.