Goal Setting in Speech-Language Pathology: A Pilot Test of a 'One-Size-Fits-All' Planning Framework.
Justine Leigh Hamilton, Erin Paige Hopkins, Cassandra Marie Kerr
PMID 40958606WHAT IT FOUND
Speech-language pathologists who learned the THIMS framework wrote significantly more specific and measurable treatment goals.
Scores rose from a median of 10 to 15 on a 17-point scale. This was a small pilot using a new, unvalidated scoring system.
Key findings
01Goal specificity scores improved significantly after training, with median scores rising from 10 to 15 on a 17-point scale.
02Participants applied the framework to new goals for different populations, suggesting the training generalized beyond the original goals.
03Participants reported the framework was difficult to apply in unstructured contexts like play-based therapy and inpatient settings.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used a novel scoring system created by the authors that has not been validated against patient outcomes. The sample was small (23 participants), self-selected, and recruited from a specific university network, limiting generalizability. No control group was used, so improvements could be due to the Hawthorne effect or simply the extra time spent writing goals. Participants reported difficulty applying the framework to complex, unstructured, or inpatient therapy contexts.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The framework was created by the lead investigator.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this framework improves patient outcomes. The study only measured the specificity of the written goals using an unvalidated scoring system, not whether patients made faster or better progress.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →