General concepts of goals and goal-setting in healthcare: A narrative review

Abstract

Goal-setting is fundamental to organisational management, yet not every manager knows how to do it well. A narrative literature review was done to explore current knowledge of definitions and classifications of goals, and principles of goal-setting in the healthcare sector. Online databases generated 65 relevant articles. Additional literature sources were snowballed from referenced articles, and textbooks. Most academic authors define ‘goal’ synonymously as ‘aim’ or ‘objective’, but there is evidence of hermeneutical confusion in general literature. Goal classifications are diverse, differing according to their contextual, structural, functional, and temporal characteristics. Many authors agree that goal-setting is problem-based, change-oriented, and can effectively motivate attainment if the goal statement is formulated with a specific and challenging or SMART framework. However, recent authors report varying definitions for SMART, and evidence of past studies that empirically examined the nature and efficacy of frameworks currently used for formulating goal statements for health programmes are lacking.

Goal adjustment by people living with long-term conditions: A scoping review of literature published from January 2007 to June 2018.

“…5). In health contexts, goals are categorized in many different (and potentially overlapping) ways according to their contextual, structural, functional, and temporal characteristics (Mann et al, 2013;Ogbeiwi, 2018). For example, personal goals, life goals, rehabilitations goals, health goals, self-management goals, long-term goals and short-term goals are terms commonly used in long-term health conditions literature.…”

Development of a Remote Psychological First Aid Protocol for Healthcare Workers Following the COVID-19 Pandemic in a University Teaching Hospital, Malaysia

“…Therefore, it is hoped that more research and clinical trials are carried out in the future using this "goal-directed" model. Well-formulated goals serve as a benchmark for evaluating the "relevance and overall value of policies, services, and projects at the end of implementation, which allows empirical judgement of the effectiveness, efficiency, and success of work and demonstration of management accountability for expended resources at all levels" [27].…”

“…According to Forbes et al [11], a feasibility assessment is recommended, although it demands much effort and undertaking from the organization via a pre-, post-, and follow-up quantitative analysis of individual psychological distress. Ogbeiwi (2018) suggested a period between 12 weeks to 1 year to achieve a short-term outcome related to the objectives and of at least 5 years to determine the long-term impact of the aim. As for the remote PFA in the context of COVID-19, one year would be practical to establish the impact of COVID-19; this period may be revised according to the latest development of the pandemic, based on directives from the Task Force.…”

Spoiled for Choice? Personalized Recommendation for Healthcare Decisions: A Multi-Armed Bandit Approach with a Dynamic Discrete-Choice Scheme

“…Goal setting can reinforce individuals' motivation, and well-structured goal formulation can have positive and directional effects on individuals' task performance (Les MacLeod EdD 2012; Locke and Latham 1990). The SMART metric (i.e., specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) has been widely used as a gold standard in areas such as education and healthcare for assessing the quality of goals (Doran 1981;Ogbeiwi 2018). This metric can help individuals to clearly identify the direction for logical action planning and implementation (Ogbeiwi 2017;Ogbeiwi 2018).…”