A qualitative study of patient-centered goal-setting in geriatric rehabilitation: patient and professional perspectives.

The study used a small purposive sample of 10 patients and 7 professionals and did not aim for data saturation. Patients were only included if they had no signs of cognitive impairment and could speak and understand Dutch, so the findings may not apply to people with cognitive impairment or language barriers. All patients were discharged home and had improved during inpatient rehabilitation, so it says little about patients who remain in institutions or who do not improve. Professionals were interviewed from a limited number of team members, so their views may not represent all geriatric rehabilitation teams. Patients were asked after discharge to recall their inpatient goals, which may introduce recall bias. The study did not observe goal-setting meetings or collect other data sources beyond interviews and rehabilitation plans. The setting was three Dutch rehabilitation centers during recent reforms that allowed home visits, so findings may not transfer to other health systems.

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and received no financial support.

Do not read this as evidence that patient-centered goal-setting improves rehabilitation outcomes. It describes themes from a small qualitative sample, not a tested intervention or measured effect.