title: Patient-centered goal setting as a tool to improve diabetes self-management.
abstract: The purpose of this article is to describe the process of collaborative goal setting as a means to improve diabetes self-management in primary care.
  
  
  
  The Self-Management Goal Cycle framework illustrates a model of care for patients with diabetes. The Big Bad Sugar War is an approach to patient counseling that includes background, barriers, successes, willingness to change, action plan, and reinforcement.
  
  
  
  Planned visits occur when a medical assistant performs routine health checks and laboratory tests prior to traditional individual appointments. Mini-group medical visits occur when a provider and medical assistant meet with 3 patients at one time. Open office group visits occur when 7 to 12 patients attend 2-hour sessions staffed by a provider.
  
  
  
  Collaborative goal setting is a valuable tool for improving self-management skills among patients with diabetes. By implementing goal setting techniques, members of the patient care team are better equipped to help patients manage their chronic conditions by making them valued partners of the health care team.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Community Health, Saint Louis University, St Louis, Missouri (Ms Langford)
authors.forename: Aisha T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Langford
authors.affiliation: St. Peter Family Medicine Residency Program, Olympia, Washington (Dr Sawyer, Ms Gioimo)
authors.forename: Devin R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Sawyer
authors.affiliation: St. Peter Family Medicine Residency Program, Olympia, Washington (Dr Sawyer, Ms Gioimo)
authors.forename: Shari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gioimo
authors.affiliation: The National Program Office of the Diabetes Initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Division of Health Behavior Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri (Ms Brownson, Dr O’Toole)
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Brownson
authors.affiliation: The National Program Office of the Diabetes Initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Division of Health Behavior Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri (Ms Brownson, Dr O’Toole)
authors.forename: Mary L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: O'Toole
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D003376:Counseling; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012648:Self Care; D012944:Social Support