The analysis revealed the core category, ‘‘becoming ready
to act,’’ which represents a process from perceiving the
first symptoms of MI to making and acting upon the
final decision to seek medical care. This process was
complex and comprised 4 categories, labeled perceiving symptoms, becoming aware of illness, feeling
endangered, and acting on illness experience. The core
category and the categories provide a foundation for
understanding the process of seeking care forMI among
patients with diabetes (illustrated in the Figure). Table 2
presents a description of the properties and dimensions
of the categories. The various dimensions of the properties could hinder or facilitate timely care-seeking.