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Understanding the patient perspective is crucial for enhancing healthcare delivery and outcomes for chronic conditions like diabetic foot ulcers. This qualitative study examined the perspectives of patients with diabetic foot ulcers to inform clinical strategies for both physicians and current patients to enhance care and prevent lower extremity amputations. Fifteen patients with a history of diabetes and diabetic foot ulcers and/or amputations participated in semi-structured interviews which explored their lived experiences and advice for both physicians and fellow patients to improve diabetic foot ulcer related care. Interview transcriptions were analysed to identify recurring themes. Advice for physicians emphasised increasing patient education, initiating preventive foot care at the time of diabetes diagnosis, providing instructions for managing diabetic ulcers early and demonstrating empathetic bedside manner. Advice for fellow patients focused on adopting healthy lifestyle practices, regular foot self-examinations, consistent blood glucose monitoring, medication adherence and seeking prompt medical attention for new or worsening foot lesions. Participants also stressed the importance of routine check-ups with providers to support prevention and management efforts. This qualitative study highlights the value of incorporating patient perspectives to improve our understanding of diabetic foot ulcer onset, care and outcomes and thereby reduce the risk of lower extremity complications.
Adolescence is a key period of development for mental health; however, little is known about how (cumulative) daily life experiences impact long-term mental health development in this period, and vice versa. ‘Mental health in the moment’ (MHIM) is an accelerated cohort measurement burst study designed to illuminate these links.
The current protocol describes the rationale and design for MHIM, which aims to recruit and follow up approximately 500 adolescents across five age cohorts (in secondary school years S1–S5, aged 11–16 at baseline) and follow them over a 5-year data collection period. Data collection will include online surveys and ecological momentary assessments bursts every 6 months, annual caregiver surveys, the collection of stress biomarker data at three key measurement points and continuous radar-based sleep measurement for a subsample of participants. The study is informed by a young person advisory group input throughout its lifecycle. Data will be analysed using techniques such as dynamic structural equation modelling. The study can provide insights into mental health development from a multitimeframe developmental perspective, including insights into ‘daily life’ intervention targets for improving adolescent mental health.
The study received ethical approval from the philosophy, psychology and language science ethics committee at the University of Edinburgh (404-2425/3) and the findings will be published in a series of peer-reviewed publications.
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