How patients interpret early signs of foot problems and reasons for delays in care: Findings from interviews with patients who have undergone toe amputations.

A confluence of patient factors (e.g., not examining their feet regularly or thoroughly and/or not acting quickly when they noticed something was wrong) and system factors (e.g., absence of a mechanism to support patient's appraisal of symptoms, lack of access to timely and convenient-located appointments) delayed care. Identifying patient- and system-level interventions that can shorten or eliminate care delays could help reduce rates of limb loss.