Learning Needs Assessment and Limb Preservation

Great work from Crocker, Tan, Palmer and Marrero¹ from the University Arizona that might help to chart a path forward into — what a great concept– listening to our patients!

The authors performed a qualitative study via interviews to investigate how patients perceive and understand their foot issues over a period of about one year. A total of 15 subjects participated, and the researchers found important data in two primary areas: how patients perceive foot ulceration and how patients perceive relevant timing with respect to foot ulceration. This included limited understanding of foot ulceration, close observation of foot problems and barriers to ulcer perception, including timing of when perception of the seriousness of the foot ulcer changed. The authors concluded that there is significant potential for education to positively impact these challenges.

Although the concept seems straightforward, this study may shed some more light on the importance of placing oneself “in a patient’s shoes.” It has almost become proverbial that we should be listening more than we do. I think the data from this and other studies seems to further suggest that this is true! 

I believe strongly that this improved dialogue can lead to better care. The key is to be doing something "with" the patient and not "to" the patient. Assessment of a patient’s learning needs with respect to diabetic foot complications could and should be a team effort. Also, clinicians might consider participating in facility-based or institutional-based plans for prevention and treatment of DFUs. We must remember that limb preservation is a team sport!

Dr. Armstrong is Professor of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. He is the Director of the Southwestern Academic Limb Salvage Alliance (SALSA). 

Editor’s note: This blog originally appeared at: https://diabeticfootonline.com/2022/03/20/the-patients-perspective-of-diabetic-foot-ulceration-a-phenomenological-exploration-of-causes-detection-and-care-seeking-tzewoeitan-alpslimb/ . It is adapted with permission from the author.

Reference

1.  Crocker RM, Tan T-W, Palmer KNB, Marrero DG. The patient’s perspective of diabetic foot ulceration: a phenomenological exploration of causes, detection and care seeking. J Adv Nurs. 2022. Online ahead of print. doi: 10.1111/jan.15192.