Using Goal Attainment Scaling in physiotherapeutic home-based stroke rehabilitation

Abstract The aim of the study was to explore with community-based physiotherapists the feasibility and acceptability of using Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) in home-based stroke rehabilitation (HBSR) and to gain a deeper understanding of physiotherapy practice in this setting. Four physiotherapists and seven patients (three men, four women) participated in this qualitative study. Interpretative description was used to analyse data collected from multiple sources including in-depth interviews, clinical patient notes and treatment observations. Physiotherapy participants were cautiously enthusiastic of the role of GAS in HBSR, finding it useful to focus their treatment interventions on specific patient-centred goals, although it was not easy to set goals with all patients. Participants questioned the reliability of GAS as a method of measuring patient outcome. Physiotherapy in this setting was found to be complex and covered a range of interventions; interventions ensuring a process of care for patients requiring a great deal of care and support to interventions for patients functioning at a high level within their community. GAS maybe a feasible means of measuring outcome in HBSR for some patients, but more research is required to establish how goals and indicators can be set reliably and at the correct level of intensity.