Goal attainment scaling in a geriatric day hospital. Team and program benefits.
OBJECTIVE
The Geriatric Day Program (GDP) of the Capital Health Region in Victoria, BC, is concerned with effective team processes, accountability for health service outcomes, and improving the quality of programs. The GDP identified a need to improve its interdisciplinary processes and generate useful patient outcome data.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) could be introduced to facilitate interdisciplinary processes and to generate useful health outcome data.


METHODS
The GAS procedures were incorporated into clinical routines based on published guidelines. The authors determined GAS outcome scores for patients who completed the program and developed outcome scores for specific geriatric problem areas requiring intervention. Outcome scores were made available to the clinical care team and to program managers for continuous quality improvement purposes.


CONCLUSIONS
The GAS process was successfully implemented and was acceptable to clinicians and managers at the GDP. Team processes were thought to be improved by focusing on patient goals in a structured way. The GAS provided data on both patient outcomes and outcomes of interventions in specific problem areas. Accountability for patient care increased. Goal Attainment Scaling provided indicators of care for which clinicians could develop program quality improvements.
Evans
D J
DJ
Oakey
S
S
Almdahl
S
S
Davoren
B
B
D000368:Aged; D001955:British Columbia; D003631:Day Care, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D005853:Geriatrics; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000592:standards*