How to Write Measurable Patient Centered Goals

Health care providers write goals as part of a patient's treatment plan. These goals direct clinical decision making and justify medical services for reimbursement by health insurance companies. Goals must be measurable to demonstrate whether or not progress is being made. Goals for medical interventions should be patient-centered, focusing on skills that are important to the individual and are realistic based on his medical status and prior level of functioning. Follow several steps to write measurable patient-centered goals.

Instructions

• 1

  Take a thorough patient history. Discuss his functional abilities prior to hospitalization, including his activities of daily living, work responsibilities and leisure activities. Ask the patient what his goals are for the medical intervention you are providing. Include family members in these conversations if the patient is in agreement.

• 2

  Write long-term goals that the patient can reasonably attain, based on his medical status. Describe the skill in detail and state a time frame for achievement. For example, "Mr. Smith will walk 300 feet independently with safe use of a wheeled walker in four weeks to allow him to return home."

• 3

  Write short-term goals specific to each long-term goal. For the example above, there are several short-term goals that could apply. These include: "Mr. Smith will walk 100 feet with a wheeled walker with moderate assistance from staff in two weeks" and "Mr. Smith will transfer sit to stand with a wheeled walker with stand-by assistance without loss of balance in two weeks." Progress toward these goals can be measured by distance and the level of staff assistance required to complete the task.

• 4

  Include goals for leisure activities as part of the treatment plan. For example, "Mr. Smith will independently transfer from kneeling to standing in four weeks to allow him to work in his garden."