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SMART Goals: Elevating Patient Advocacy through Documentation

Trisha Salome, PT, DPT

August 1, 2024

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Question

How can SMART goals enhance patient advocacy through documentation?

Answer

SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals provide a robust framework for documenting patient care in an advocacy-focused manner. Therapists can articulate the skilled need and hoped-for functional outcomes clearly by ensuring goals are specific to the patient's needs, measurable, challenging yet achievable, relevant to their condition, and time-bound. Comprehensive SMART goals directly link interventions and anticipated patient progress, strengthening the justification for continued therapy services.

 

 

This ask the expert is an edited excerpt from Documentation: An Opportunity to Advocate for Your Patient, presented by Trisha Salome, PT, DPT.


trisha salome

Trisha Salome, PT, DPT

Trisha Salome, PT, DPT, is currently a Service Line Director for Penn Highlands Healthcare in Pennsylvania.  Dr. Salome earned her doctorate in physical therapy from Saint Francis University, where she also received her Bachelor of Science in health sciences.  She has spent her entire career working for nonprofits with notable works in pediatrics, home health, hospice, leadership development, clinical documentation, community programs, and operational efficiency. Previously she has represented her profession in elected and appointed positions in the APTA and has presented Hospice education nationally at CSM and with PhysicalTherapy.com.   


Related Courses

Documentation: An Opportunity to Advocate for Your Patient
Presented by Trisha Salome, PT, DPT
Recorded Webinar

Presenter

Trisha Salome, PT, DPT
Course: #4858Level: Intermediate2 Hours
  'Well organized and taught'   Read Reviews
This course addresses the rationale behind having top-notch documentation and provides education on making your documentation a tool to advocate for your patients. The course covers ethics of documentation, goal writing, and measuring progress in difficult situations such as palliative care or maintenance therapy.

Hospice 101
Presented by Emily Henneman, PT, DPT, Trisha Salome, PT, DPT
Recorded Webinar

Presenters

Emily Henneman, PT, DPTTrisha Salome, PT, DPT
Course: #4731Level: Introductory2 Hours
  'Very concise and informative'   Read Reviews
This introduction to hospice and end of life care for physical therapists covers the hospice benefit. Emphasis is placed on the role of physical therapists in hospice and how physical therapy can obtain a "seat at the table" with patients on hospice care.

Mindfulness: Beyond Guided Meditation
Presented by Jennifer Stone, PT, DPT, OCS, PHC, TPS, HLC
Recorded Webinar

Presenter

Jennifer Stone, PT, DPT, OCS, PHC, TPS, HLC
Course: #3902Level: Intermediate2 Hours
  'This is a unique and very helpful lecture because it helps caregivers and healthcare practitioners like me to deal with their own issues so that we can help more patients'   Read Reviews
Mindfulness can be a really powerful cognitive-behavioral tool and has many relevant applications when treating patients with pain, especially chronic pain. Many courses for rehabilitation professionals teach guided meditation, which is an amazing tool. However, mindfulness has many other applications and opportunities for use in the treatment of patients with pain. This session discusses the history and science behind mindfulness, as well as provides a variety of practical mindfulness tools for the everyday practitioner. This course is directly related to the practice of physical therapy and is therefore appropriate for the PT/PTA.

Diabetes in Adults: Current Guidelines and Evidence
Presented by Sally Stillings, MA, PT, MPT, CHT
Recorded Webinar

Presenter

Sally Stillings, MA, PT, MPT, CHT
Course: #3958Level: Intermediate2 Hours
  'Easy to understand and important to know as many patients may be diabetic considering the increase in cases'   Read Reviews
This course gives us an overview of diabetes in adults, discusses current perspectives and guidelines, and addresses its significance in PT practice. It also looks at some of the current literature that addresses the evidence for risk factors and interventions and to see how they may apply to our practices. This course is directly related to the practice of physical therapy and is therefore appropriate for the PT/PTA.

Maximizing Patient Engagement Through the Science of Behavioral Economics
Presented by Mike Studer, PT, DPT, MHS, NCS, CEEAA, CWT, CSST, BFPCE, FAPTA
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Presenter

Mike Studer, PT, DPT, MHS, NCS, CEEAA, CWT, CSST, BFPCE, FAPTA
Course: #4595Level: Intermediate3 Hours
  'I enjoyed the speakers view, style of teaching and examples'   Read Reviews
Learn the evidence and the application of mastering your soft skills to optimize the patient experience and patient engagement. Be ready to improve in every aspect of patient care from the interview, diagnosis, education, intervention, and home exercise prescription.

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