Classifying client goals in community-based ABI rehabilitation: a taxonomy for profiling service delivery and conceptualizing outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To develop, confirm and trial a framework for analysing the content of goals set within community-based rehabilitation. This framework (taxonomy) is proposed as a tool to assist in service evaluation and outcome exploration.


METHODS
Qualitative thematic analysis and categorization of 1765 rehabilitation goal statements in a four phase process of synthesis, refinement, verification and application.


RESULTS
A taxonomy of goal content was developed comprising 21 categories within five domains, utilizing 125 descriptors. The taxonomy demonstrated good inter-rater consistency and was able to discriminate between similar but related data sets comprising goal statements.


CONCLUSIONS
Structured analysis of the content of goal setting (particularly in community rehabilitation) utilizing a framework such as the proposed taxonomy has considerable potential as a 'window' into service delivery to broaden the parameters of existing service evaluation and to more clearly link outcome exploration to intervention.
Kuipers
P
P
Acquired Brain Injury Outreach Service and Centre of National Research on Disability and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Queensland, Australia. pim_kuipers@health.qld.gov.au
Foster
M
M
Carlson
G
G
Moy
J
J
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000145:classification*; D001315:Australia; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000145:classification / Q000458:organization & administration*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000145:classification*; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000145:classification; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers / Q000458:organization & administration; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity