Why patients do not comply with compression bandaging.

The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of patients presenting with venous leg ulceration who were labelled as 'non-compliant' with compression bandaging by district nurses. A hermeneutic approach was taken and 14 patients with chronic venous leg ulceration were interviewed. Six themes emerged from the data: (1) lay perceptions of the cause and healing of leg ulceration, (2) concurrent problems of leg ulceration, (3) dilemmas of treatment, (4) perceptions of healthcare professionals, (5) the need for health education, (6) what it is like living with a leg ulcer.