BACKGROUND
Stroke is the second leading cause of mortality and third cause of disability worldwide1. Early commencement of rehabilitation plays a vital role in restoring functions and contributes to long term recovery and reintegration to community. Stroke rehabilitation relies heavily on goal setting to tailor interventions and assess progress. This audit aimed to evaluate the quality of goals set for 50 stroke patients using the S.M.A.R.T criteria (S-Specific, M-Measurable, A-Attainable, R-Realistic T- Timeliness).
METHODS
Goals of 50 patients were reviewed, which generated 222 goals. These were grouped into various rehabilitation domains and assessed against the S.M.A.R.T criteria.
RESULTS
Out of 222 goals, 85 (38%) were exclusively physical goals while 55 (25%) were activities of daily living. There were 4 (2%) cognitive, 6 (3%) medical and 11 (5%) nursing goals. 117 (55%) goals did not meet any of the S.M.A.R.T criteria while 45% goals met at least one S.M.A.R.T criterion. None of the goals met all 5 S.M.A.R.T criteria.
CONCLUSION
Results revealed an unequal distribution across rehabilitation domains. Most goals focus on physical aspects, neglecting other crucial domains such as cognitive, nursing, and medical needs. Majority of goals were vague and generic. This resulted in challenges in tracking progress and managing expectations. Following this audit, we have developed a goal library with prepopulated menu of S.M.A.R.T goals across all rehabilitation domains which is accessible to patient. We hope that the proposed intervention will contribute to comprehensive goal setting which will improve patient outcomes and discharge planning.