Characteristics of goal-setting tools in adult rehabilitation: A scoping review

OBJECTIVES

This scoping review aims to map the literature on goal-setting tools in adult rehabilitation, exploring their characteristics, target users and supporting evidence to inform practice and future research in this area.

METHODS

We completed a comprehensive search of four databases to identify relevant articles on tools for goal setting in rehabilitation. We followed Arkey and O'Malley's scoping review process to guide article selection, data extraction and data analysis.

RESULTS

We identified a total of 165 studies that reported on 55 different goal-setting tools, including tools for goal selection and goal documentation (n = 31), goal setting and intervention planning (n = 15), and for measuring the quality of the goal-setting process (n = 9). Over half of the tools were primarily designed for use in rehabilitation of physical disabilities (n = 32). Some tools fell under multiple sub-categories based on their characteristics as follows: 22 framework tools, 12 interview tools, 9 outcome measurement tools for goal achievement, 6 outcome measurement tools for goal quality and 25 documentation tools. The majority of goal-setting instruments targeted goals at the level of activity and participation (n = 51) and aimed to facilitate a client-centred or shared decision-making approach to rehabilitation planning (n = 46).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a comprehensive overview of existing goal-setting tools, highlighting their characteristics, target users and identified needs. These findings can enhance practitioners' awareness of the range of goal-setting tools available and can enable more effective utilization of these tools in clinical practice. Further research should investigate how clinicians can combine multiple tools to deliver goal setting.

Communication between rehabilitation staff and people with traumatic brain injury: A systematic review

This systematic review aimed to synthesize barriers and facilitators in communicative interactions between staff and people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the rehabilitation context. Searches captured published evidence up to November 2022 in MEDLINE, Embase, SCOPUS, Web of Science, CINAHL, AMED, and PsycINFO. Eligible studies reported on the communicative interaction between rehabilitation staff and adults with TBI. In total, 31 studies were included in the review; including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods designs. Quality assessment was carried out using standard checklists. Quantitative studies and quantitative components of mixed-method studies were synthesized descriptively according to reported communication barriers and facilitators. Qualitative studies and qualitative components of mixed-method studies were analysed through an inductive thematic meta-synthesis; generating six main themes with four subthemes. Themes were categorized as barriers or facilitators to communicative interaction. Findings demonstrated that cognitive-communication disorders of people with TBI challenge the communicative interaction between rehabilitation staff and people with TBI. However, the extent to which these disorders create a communicative barrier is closely related to staff's communicative approach. While staff holding a collaborative and acknowledging approach and using supportive strategies may facilitate successful communicative interactions, staff using the opposite approach may exacerbate communication barriers.

Setting Goals to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk: A Retrospective Chart Review of a Pharmacist-Led Initiative in the Workplace

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the second leading cause of death in Canada with many modifiable risk factors. Pharmacists at a Canadian university delivered a novel CVD risk management program, which included goal-setting and medication management. Aim: This study aimed to describe what CVD prevention goals are composed of in a workplace CVD risk reduction program, and how might these goals change over time. Methods: A longitudinal, descriptive qualitative study using a retrospective chart review of clinical care plans for 15 patients enrolled in a CVD prevention program. Data across 6 visits were extracted from charts (n = 5413 words) recorded from May 2019-November 2020 and analyzed using quantitative content analysis and descriptive statistics. Results: Behavioural goals were most popular among patients and were more likely to change over the 12-month follow-up period, compared to health measure goals. Behavioural goals included goals around diet, physical activity (PA), smoking, medication, sleep and alcohol; health measure goals centered on weight measures, blood pressure (BP) and blood lipid levels. The most common behavioural goals set by patients were for diet (n = 11) and PA (n = 9). Over time, goals around PA, medication, alcohol and weight were adapted while others were added (e.g. diet) and some only continued. Patients experienced a number of barriers to their goal(s) which informed how they adapted their goal(s). These included environmental limitations (including COVID-19) and work-related time constraints. Conclusions: This study found CVD goal-setting in the pharmacist-led workplace wellness program was complex and evolved over time, with goals added and/or adapted. More detailed qualitative research could provide further insights into the patient-provider goal-setting experience in workplace CVD prevention.

Engaging children and adolescents with acquired brain injury and their families in goal setting: The family perspective

This study explored the experiences of goal setting in paediatric rehabilitation from the perspectives of children and adolescents with acquired brain injury (ABI) and their parents in paediatric rehabilitation. Using a qualitative research design, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 parents and 8 young people with ABI aged between 9 and 18 years who were engaged in outpatient rehabilitation. Interview transcripts were analysed using constructivist grounded theory methods. Two main themes and several sub-themes emerged: Experiences of goal setting: The role of professionals; The role of the young person; and The role of the parents. Working as a team: Understanding each other and building trust; Communicating, sharing knowledge and different perspectives; and Being flexible. These themes reflect parent's and young people's experience of goal setting during paediatric rehabilitation for ABI and suggest clinicians play an important role in educating young people and their families about goal setting in the outpatient rehabilitation context. Young people and their parents also perceive the focus of outpatient rehabilitation as working collaboratively with clinicians to gain knowledge to manage the consequences of ABI. Our findings emphasize the importance of the therapeutic consumer-clinician relationship and the need to actively engage young people in goal setting.

Development and preliminary evaluation of a novel participant-led video intervention to train disability support workers

This paper describes the development and preliminary evaluation of a novel participant-led video (PLV) intervention to support people with disability (PWD) and cognitive and communication impairments to communicate their needs and preferences to their disability support workers. The PLV intervention was designed following a scoping literature review and workshop with PWD and close others. Subsequently, it was piloted with five primary participants with acquired brain injury and cognitive and communication impairments, five close other supporters and five facilitators. An independent mixed methods evaluation of the pilot was conducted with participants, close others and facilitators. All pilot evaluation participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the PLV intervention (mean ratings: primary participants 4.5/5.0; supporters 5.0/5.0; facilitators 4.8/5.0). When primary participants and their supporters were asked to rate how likely they were to recommend the PLV intervention, responses were extremely positive with the mean rating exceeding eight on a 10-point scale. Qualitative analysis of interview data revealed the PLV to be a person-centred experience for primary participants that was structured around sense of self and included having a voice and taking control in directing their lives, personal growth through participation and feeling validated through the experience. The production and use of PLV training resources has much potential to improve the delivery of support and maximise support outcomes by enabling people with cognitive and communication impairments to have choice and control, set their own goals and direct their supports. Further research is required with a larger sample size and longitudinal evaluation of participant outcomes.

What are your goals? Goal-setting logics in Danish Parkinson's rehabilitation

Across rehabilitation fields, rehabilitees and professionals meet to set rehabilitation goals. Portrayed as an ordinary, yet foundational practice in rehabilitation, participants often find goal-setting meetings challenging; ideal and real seem to clash. Based on a long-term fieldwork in Danish Parkinson's disease rehabilitation, we explore goal-setting and its rationale to gain insight into why goal-setting qualifies as challenging. We find that challenges relate to disease, organizational matters and an imbalance in institutional knowledge, but also that different logics, of choice, interdependence, and accountability, entangle and affect goal-setting. A competitive aspect between goal-setting logics appears pivotal to understand the challenges in goal-setting.

Collaborative Goal Setting: A Clinical Approach for Adults With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Purpose Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have many available procedural options when setting treatment goals. Extant literature supports goal setting protocols that include and value the perspectives of the client; however, in practice, rehabilitation professionals may lean toward expert models of care when planning treatment. Our purpose is to describe a newly developed approach for SLPs and individuals with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) to work together to build meaningful, relevant goals. Method We utilized a multiple case study format to exemplify goal setting procedures. Specifically, we describe procedures and outcomes for a 29-year-old female 28 days postinjury and a 70-year-old male 9 months postinjury. Results Clients who engaged in this protocol worked collaboratively with a clinician to identify strengths and challenges postinjury, select and prioritize goal areas, and discuss and develop meaningful, personalized treatment activities. For both participants, use of the proposed protocol resulted in meaningful goals that addressed their self-reported deficits as well as their respective cognitive-linguistic deficits noted on objective, standardized measures. Conclusions Clinician and client collaboration during treatment goal development can facilitate increased client motivation and functional outcomes. The described approach is feasible from a clinical resource standpoint and promotes a systematic approach to placing the client at the forefront of clinical decision making to enhance therapeutic gains. Such client-centered approaches may be particularly valuable for individuals with mTBI who experience substantial cognitive and communicative challenges but may maintain high levels of self-awareness postinjury.

An exploration of goal-setting practices in Queensland rehabilitation services

BACKGROUND

Goals are vital in rehabilitation; however, how goal-setting occurs varies widely in clinical practice. This study aims to review goal-setting practices across the rehabilitation continuum within varied case mix services in Queensland, Australia.

METHOD

A descriptive multisite qualitative case study with medical record audits and interviews of adult rehabilitation clients was used to evaluate four propositions across three inpatient and two community rehabilitation services. The propositions evaluated the process in which goal-setting occurs, action planning and review of goals, as well as the type, specificity and client-centeredness of goals set.

RESULTS

Goals (n = 1120) were often poorly defined, focussed on short term physical functioning and were predominantly set by individual disciplines with the client rather than using an interdisciplinary approach. Clients were not consistently given action plans to pursue goals (n = 59, 18%) and the review of goal progress (n = 60, 18%) was limited. Few clients reported receiving copies of their rehabilitation goals (n = 16, 25%).

CONCLUSION

Goal-setting in rehabilitation should be specific, meaningful and include the client in action planning, feedback and review. However, goal-setting in rehabilitation is often multidisciplinary and unstructured.Implications for rehabilitationBest-practice rehabilitation team goal-negotiation and goal-setting should include a common goal focus and incorporate components of staff and client action planning, coping planning, feedback and review.Rehabilitation clients prefer shared-decision making approaches to setting meaningful and personalised goals, however, require time and support to engage in the goal-setting and negotiation process.Rehabilitation clinicians need training and support to improve their goal negotiation and goal writing skills to create specific, understandable and meaningful goals with rehabilitation clients.

Engaging children and adolescents with acquired brain injury and their families in goal setting: The clinician perspective

This paper explored clinicians' experiences of the goal setting process with children and adolescents with acquired brain injuries (ABI) and their families in paediatric neurorehabilitation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 clinicians, all members of an interdisciplinary paediatric rehabilitation service, who work with children and adolescents with ABI and their families. Interview transcripts and additional data were analysed using constructivist grounded theory methods. Three main themes and sub-themes were developed: (1) Seeing the bigger picture: Goals change over time; Families set bigger picture goals; Need-to-dos: Goals that the child/adolescent needs to achieve; and Want-to-dos: Goals that the child/adolescent wants to achieve; (2) Collaborating as a team: Everyone needs to be on the same page; Hearing the child's/adolescent's voice; and Parents as advocates; and (3) Recognizing and navigating challenges: Child-/adolescent- and family-related challenges and Time as a service-related challenge. Participants perceived the clinician's role during goal setting as that of an active collaborator, enabling children and adolescents with ABI and their families to generate meaningful goals. These findings demonstrate insights into goal setting in paediatric ABI neurorehabilitation from clinicians' perspectives, and highlight the importance of collaboration, flexibility and anticipation of challenges in facilitating children's, adolescents' and families' involvement in this process.

Building patient capacity to participate in care during hospitalisation: a scoping review

OBJECTIVES

To map the existing literature and describe interventions aimed at building the capacity of patients to participate in care during hospitalisation by: (1) describing and categorising the aspects of care targeted by these interventions and (2) identifying the behaviour change techniques (BCTs) used in these interventions. A patient representative participated in all aspects of this project.

DESIGN

Scoping review.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL (Inception -2017).

STUDY SELECTION

Studies reporting primary research studies on building the capacity of hospitalised adult patients to participate in care which described or included one or more structured or systematic interventions and described the outcomes for at least the key stakeholder group were included.

DATA EXTRACTION

Title and abstract screening and full text screening were conducted by pairs of trained reviewers. One reviewer extracted data, which were verified by a second reviewer. Interventions were classified according to seven aspects of care relevant to hospital settings. BCTs identified in the articles were assigned through consensus of three reviewers.

RESULTS

Database searches yielded a total 9899 articles, resulting in 87 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Interventions directed at building patient capacity to participate in care while hospitalised were categorised as those related to improving: patient safety (20.9%); care coordination (5.7%); effective treatment (5.7%) and/or patient-centred care using: bedside nursing handovers (5.7%); communication (29.1%); care planning (14%) or the care environment (19.8%). The majority of studies reported one or more positive outcomes from the defined intervention. Adding new elements (objects) to the environment and restructuring the social and/or physical environment were the most frequently identified BCTs.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of studies to build capacity for participation in care report one or more positive outcomes, although a more comprehensive analysis is warranted.

Goal statements in brain injury rehabilitation: A cohort study of client-centredness and relationship with goal outcome

Background:

Currently, there is increasing recognition of the need to use a client-centred approach to goal setting in rehabilitation. However, there is limited research to guide practice with community-dwelling clients with acquired brain injury. An understanding of the characteristics of client-centred goals and the extent to which client-centeredness influences goal outcomes is required.

Objective:

To examine the relationships between the client-centredness of goals and their characteristics, content, recall and outcomes of client-centred goals in brain injury rehabilitation.

Methods:

A prospective cohort design study was employed. Participants were 45 clients with brain injury receiving outpatient rehabilitation, who completed measures of client-centredness after goal setting. Each goal was classified according to whether it was specific, measurable, non-jargonistic, and participation-focussed, included a timeframe and was recalled by participants.

Results:

Participants set 223 goals with 20 clinicians from multiple disciplines. Levels of client-centredness did not differ according to the characteristics, content and recall of goals, with the exception of goal specificity (p< 0.01). Client-centredness was significantly and positively correlated with goal outcomes (p< 0.05).

Conclusions:

The use of client-centred goals is recommended for improved rehabilitation outcomes. Applying goal documentation criteria does not necessarily mean that goals will be client-centred, and highly specific goal statements may not reflect what is important and meaningful to clients.

What is Known About Transitional Living Services for Adults With an Acquired Brain Injury? A Scoping Review

Transitional living service (TLS) programmes for adults with an acquired brain injury are considered an important part of rehabilitation. However, considerable variability exists in the design and structure of these services, with limited research to guide the development of a programme based on best evidence. A scoping literature review was completed to answer the question ‘What is known about TLS programmes for adults with an acquired brain injury?’ Four electronic databases were systematically searched, followed by a grey literature search (from 1996 to 2015). 3183 articles were screened and 13 articles were included in the final review. Themes that emerged from the literature include the types of residents using TLS programmes, the subjective experience of residents and staff, intervention approaches, programme staffing, and programme outcomes. The research reviewed supports the use of TLS programmes to maximise functional independence and community integration of individuals with an acquired brain injury. Clinical practise recommendations were developed to help support implementation of TLS programmes based on best evidence, these included: to use multiple outcome measures, implement collaborative goal setting, support generalisation of skills learnt in the TLS to the home environment and for eligibility criteria for these programmes to include individuals across all phases of recovery.