Pilot of a person-centred, interdisciplinary approach to goal setting in Ireland’s National Rehabilitation Hospital: a study protocol

Abstract

Background: Research has emphasized the value of a person-centered, interdisciplinary approach to structured goal setting in rehabilitation; yet these approaches are not consistently implemented in clinical practice, limiting the effect that goal setting can have on rehabilitation. The introduction of a new interdisciplinary, person-centered goal setting process to Ireland’s national rehabilitation hospital offers an opportunity to gain novel insight into barriers to implementing and normalising IDT goal setting in complex, specialist rehabilitation services. Methods: The goal setting process was collaboratively designed based on iterative rounds of patient and staff feedback. It will be piloted in three different units of the hospital. The outlined study was co-designed by embedded academic researchers and knowledge stakeholders (the quality improvement team responsible for introducing the new process; and two former patients). The aim is to use a mixed methods approach to capture patient and staff experiences and perspectives of the new process. Data will be collected by embedded researchers with a combination of self-report measures and qualitative interviews with both staff and patients. Self-report measures focus on capturing person centeredness of goals, shared decision making, interprofessional socialization and process normalization. Quantitative data will be represented using descriptive and inferential statistics; qualitative data will be analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Discussion & Conclusion: From this data the researchers aim to present a holistic view of the patient and staff experiences of the goal setting process. This may further illuminate challenges and potential solutions to implementing changes to goal setting within this context. Findings will be used to inform implementation within the hospital and will contribute to knowledge for rehabilitation practice around implementing IDT goal setting. This will add an Irish perspective to existing goal setting rehabilitation literature.