Home⇛NRCP Research Journal⇛vol. 25 no. 2 (2026)

Delayed Healthcare Consultation in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcer: An Analytical Cross-sectional Study Conducted in a Single Government Tertiary Hospital in the Philippines

Henrietta Macanes | Joy Aiza Sombillo

Discipline: Zoology

 

Abstract:

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a debilitating and severe manifestation of uncontrolled and prolonged diabetes that presents as ulceration, usually located on the plantar aspect of the foot. This study aimed to estimate the consultation delay time and identify the psychosocial markers of prolonged admission decision-making in patients with diabetic foot ulcers in a government hospital in the Philippine setting. A cross-sectional design was adopted in this study. The psychosocial level of the patients were analyzed by utilizing structured questionnaires: the Social Support Rate Scale (SSRS), and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ). A total of 50 patients diagnosed with diabetic foot were recruited in the study. Among the total respondents, most patients consult within 15 to 30 days of symptom onset. Results of the SSRS show that when the patient perceives less support, the more likely there is a delay in patient consultation. In the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire the data show that most patients had associated negative and severe symptoms during consult. Furthermore, most patients also had intense negative emotions at the time of consult. These results show that delay in consultation not only affects the severity of the diabetic foot ulcer, but also the perception of illness of the patients. These also highlight the need for a multifaceted approach to reduce pre-hospital delays in diabetic foot patients.



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