Background: People with diabetes have a higher risk for myocardial infarction (MI) than do people without
diabetes. It is extremely important that patients with MI seek medical care as soon as possible after symptom onset
because the shorter the time from symptom onset to treatment, the better the prognosis. Objective: The aim of this
study was to explore how people with diabetes experience the onset of MI and how they decide to seek care.
Methods: We interviewed 15 patients with diabetes, 7 men and 8 women, seeking care for MI. They were
interviewed 1 to 5 days after their admission to hospital. Five of the participants had had a previous MI; 5 were being
treated with insulin; 5, with a combination of insulin and oral antidiabetic agents; and 5, with oral agents only. Data
were analyzed according to grounded theory. Results: The core category that emerged, ‘‘becoming ready to act,’’
incorporated the related categories of perceiving symptoms, becoming aware of illness, feeling endangered, and
acting on illness experience. Our results suggest that responses in each of the categories affect the care-seeking
process and could be barriers or facilitators in timely care-seeking. Many participants did not see themselves as
susceptible to MI and MI was not expressed as a complication of diabetes. Conclusions: Patients with diabetes
engaged in a complex care-seeking process, including several delaying barriers, when they experienced symptoms of
an MI. Education for patients with diabetes should include discussions about their increased risk of MI, the range of
individual variation in symptoms and onset ofMI, and the best course of action when possible symptoms ofMI occur.