Behaviour in the Diabetic Foot: A Clinical Perspective

Behaviour is often the missing piece in diabetic foot care, even though it shapes what happens before and after every clinical decision.

In clinic, it is very easy to focus on what is in front of us. The ulcer, the pressure, the risk.

But in reality, what shapes outcomes is often everything around that. Daily habits, small choices, what someone can or cannot manage at home, how they feel about their condition, and what their day actually looks like when they leave the clinic.

Clinics in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery, April 2026

Over time, this becomes hard to ignore. In the diabetic foot, behaviour is not a secondary factor. It sits right at the centre.

I explored this further in a peer reviewed paper in Clinics in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery, written together with David Armstrong and Brandon Brooks. It looks at behaviour change from a practical point of view and how it fits into everyday podiatry, not just in theory but in real clinical situations.

It is less about whether patients follow advice, and more about how we as clinicians understand what is actually realistic for them, and how we support that over time.

This way of thinking has gradually shaped how I work and how I write about behaviour change in podiatry, including in my recent writing.