Towards goal-oriented care with Goal Finder

Abstract

Background: The last decade we have witnessed an increased attention for goal oriented care. Goal oriented care is even considered to be the gateway to integrated care. The aim of goal oriented care is to provide care based on life goals of individuals. Individuals with one or more chronic disease(s) support this shift towards goal oriented care. Their everyday experiences show that a chronic disease has an impact on various aspects of life: care, relationships, insurances, employment,… To be able to increase patients’ quality of life and to provide tailored care it is important to take into account individuals’ life goals, values and norms. While most patients as well as caregivers agree that goal oriented care is the way to go, several barriers to bring goal oriented care into practice are encountered. As such, patients experience difficulties in mapping their life goals and communicating them to their (informal) caregivers. Care givers do not always know how they can take life goals into account when providing care. 
 Aim: To overcome the barriers of patients and caregivers, the Flemish Patient Platform vzw (VPP) has, in cocreation with patients, caregivers and researchers and with support from the flemish government, developed a tool named Goal Finder.
 Method: Goal Finder enables patients to map their life goals and communicate them towards their family, friends and caregivers. Goal Finder has been tested by patients and caregivers around Flanders. 54 patients and 39 caregivers completed a survey to share their experiences on the tool. Based on the insights a new version of the tool was developed. The VPP applies various dissemination strategies. One way to get acqainted with Goal Finder is through patient organisations (members of VPP). Pain Point, a patient organisation for patients with chronic pain, has taken several actions to disseminate the tool and bring goal oriented care into practice. As such, they organised a webinar on how to use Goal Finder, contacts between peers to share experiences on goal oriented care and Goal Finder and two symposia aiming to motivate patients and caregivers to bring goal oriented care into practice.
 Results: The study of VPP as well as the experiences of Pain Point show that Goal Finder has an added value for various patients and caregivers. As such, the tool increases patient participation and enables a more equal relationship between patients and caregivers. When care is goal oriented the motivation of patients increases as well.
 Conclusion: To fulfill the promise of goal oriented care as gateway to integrated care we should continue to disseminate tools such as Goal Finder and inform patients as well as caregivers on how to bring goal oriented care into practice.