Investigating The Lived Experience of People With Diabetic Foot Ulcers Receiving Podiatry Care in a Tertiary Hospital Clinic
Abstract Background: Diabetic foot ulcers can have physical, social, emotional, and financial impacts on the daily life and wellbeing of many people living with diabetes. Effective treatment of diabetic foot ulcers requires a multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary approach involving a podiatrist, other healthcare professionals, and the person with diabetes however, limited research has been conducted on the lived experience of managing a diabetic foot ulcer with podiatry treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the lived experience of receiving podiatric treatment for diabetic foot ulcers in a tertiary care outpatient setting. Methods: Participants with diabetic foot ulcers were purposively recruited from the outpatient podiatry clinic at a tertiary hospital in a metropolitan region of South Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain insight into the lived experience of people receiving podiatric treatment for their foot ulcer. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis method. Results: Ten participants were interviewed. All were male, with mean age of 69 (SD 15) years and currently undergoing podiatric treatment for a diabetic foot ulcer in a tertiary care setting. Four themes were identified that provide an understanding of the lived experience of participants: ‘Trusting the podiatrists with the right expertise’, ‘Personalised information’, ‘Happy with the service, not the equipment’, and ‘It’s a long journey’. Participants perceived professional behaviour and demonstrated expertise as key to trusting a podiatrist’s care. Information tailored to individual needs was helpful for participants. Offloading devices and ulcer dressings were often burdensome. Podiatric treatment for foot ulcers was a lengthy and onerous experience for all participants. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest podiatrists can use practical strategies of maintaining consistency in who provides podiatry care for the person, demonstration of high organisational and hygiene standards, and using innovation to adapt information and equipment to suit an individual’s lifestyle to support positive experiences of podiatric ulcer care. There is a need for further research to understand how a person’s experience of podiatric ulcer treatment differs between genders and healthcare settings to facilitate positive care experiences and reduce treatment burden for all people with diabetes requiring podiatric ulcer treatment.