Development and field testing of a standardised goal setting package for person-centred discharge care planning in stroke.

Objective: Develop and test a person-centred goal-setting package for discharge care planning in acute and rehabilitation stroke units.
Methods: A multidisciplinary, expert working group ( n  = 15), and consumer group ( n  = 4) was convened. A multistage iterative approach was used to develop and test the package. Stages included: (i) contextual understanding, (ii) package development, and (iii) clinician training and field-testing in acute and rehabilitation settings. Observational field notes were taken and clinicians' perspectives captured using semi-structured focus groups post-testing.
Results: The final package included a 34-item menu aligned with a manual containing: guideline summaries; common goals; goal metrics based on the SMART Goal Evaluation Method (SMART-GEM); evidence-based strategies; and worked examples. Twenty-three clinicians attended training. Clinician observations ( n  = 5) indicated that: the package could be incorporated into practice; a range of person-centred goals were set; and opportunities provided to raise additional issues. Clinician feedback ( n  = 8) suggested the package was useful and facilitated person-centred goal-setting. Enablers included potential for incorporation into existing processes and beliefs that it promoted person-centred care. Barriers included additional time.
Conclusion: The package demonstrated potential to facilitate comprehensive person-centred goal-setting for patients with stroke.
Innovation: We developed an innovative approach to support structured person-centred goal setting in clinical and research settings.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
(© 2021 The Author(s).)