In partnership with the SCIROCCO Exchange, Dr. Pauline Boeckxstaens and colleagues presented on the concept of goal-oriented and how it is being put to use in two pilot projects in Ghent, Belgium. People from around the world were invited to attend the webinar, make sure to check out more on the webinar here as well as access the recording! 

At the 2020 Annual Meeting for the North American Primary Care Research Group co-founders, Carolyn Steele Gray and James Mold, along with Canadian researcher Lisa Dolovich presented current evidence on the implementation and impact of Goal-Oriented Care. In this presentation they explored three questions: 1) How adaptable does GOC need to be (e.g., what level of fidelity is required)?; 2) Are we measuring what matters to provide evidence of the model? 3) What organizational and institutional barriers do we need to address (e.g., research funding, organizational processes, other implementation factors)?

Members of the GOCLC recently published an Integrated Care Case in the International Journal of Integrated Care titled "Goal-Oriented Care: A Catalyst for Person-Centred System Integration". Make sure to check out the article to see examples of Goal-Oriented Care in practice from three countries!

Abstract 

Introduction: Person-centred integrated care is often at odds with how current health care systems are structured, resulting in slower than expected uptake of the model worldwide. Adopting goal-oriented care, an approach which uses patient priorities, or goals, to drive what kinds of care are appropriate and how care is delivered, may offer a way to improve implementation. Description: This case report presents three international cases of community-based primary health care models in Ottawa (Canada), Vermont (USA) and Flanders (Belgium) that adopted goal-oriented care to stimulate clinical, professional, organizational and system integration. The Rainbow Model of Integrated Care is used to demonstrate how goal-oriented care drove integration at all levels. Discussion: The three cases demonstrate how goal-oriented care has the potential to catalyse integrated care. Exploration of these cases suggests that goal-oriented care can serve to activate formative and normative integration mechanisms; supporting processes that enable integrated care, while providing a framework for a shared philosophy of care. Lessons learned: By establishing a common vision and philosophy to drive shared processes, goal-oriented care can be a powerful tool to enable integrated care delivery. Offering plenty of opportunities for training in goal-oriented care within and across teams is essential to support this shift.

Check out James Mold's latest book for physicians and other health care professionals to learn about Goal-Oriented Medical Care, which suggests that, prior to consideration of strategies, the health care team must understand the patient's personal health goals and priorities. While intuitively obvious, addition of the goal-clarification step changes the focus from problem-solving to goal attainment, forcing a reconsideration of the meaning of health and the purpose of health care. It elevates the role of patients in decision-making, broadens the range of strategies, encourages individualization and prioritization, and creates a conceptual framework for true person-centered care. And while the idea is deceptively simple, it provides a blueprint for the transformation of health care systems trying to adapt to changing health concerns, scientific and technological advances, health and health care inequities, and rising costs. 

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Dr. Mold's book is available for purchase from Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and Walmart.