Creating SMART Goals

Owned by Mohammad Al-Ubaydli
Last updated: Sept 05, 2024 by Hannah Johnson-Keck
3 min read

All users of PKB are encouraged at the outset of implementation to consider how to evaluate and measure the impact of using a patient controlled health record with patients and in clinical services. The implementation of PKB directly contributes to clinical transformation strategies and digital health strategies in a healthcare organisation. Our experience tells us that in order to achieve clinical transformation and the adoption of PKB in a team, it is important to identify at the outset, what the clinical team/service intends to achieve and how they are going to track the progress towards these targets when use of PKB is initiated and routinely used.

 

PKB recommends that each team sets out a clear set of objectives and articulated outcomes and outputs. All teams should work with their team members, service and organisation to create and agree on these objectives, goals and desired outputs to help achieve measurable outcomes that can demonstrate the benefits of using PKB. PKB recommends evaluation that includes the use of SMART goal methodology to articulate objectives, goals, outcomes and desired outputs within an agreed timeframe.

To help you create SMART goals

  1. A template of smart goal writing, documenting the agreed outcomes

  2. Examples SMART goals

  3. How to review and track SMART Goals at review meetings and set new goals

  4. A template to help you pull together a use case/case study

Evidence generating

Gathering evidence at the beginning of the project is key, as this provides the metrics to check again at the end of the project. To see if the team has achieved what they set out too.

Evidence gathering can be done in these ways;

  • Patient-reported outcomes

  • Clinical outcomes - hard facts (patient's living longer)

  • System efficiency (save money / make staffs job easier)

  • Real-world evidence = implementable product

  • Research = thought leadership on PHR

  • Evaluation = clinician, organisational and patient outcomes

 

Following the team’s demonstration of PKB, the team can take the opportunity to map current pathways and look at new digital pathways incorporating PKB. Set SMART goals with a full understanding of the key functionalities they can use with patients, secure messaging, dynamic care plans and data sharing.

What are SMART goals?

SMART goals are used to help guide goal setting. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Therefore, a SMART goal incorporates all of these criteria to help focus your efforts and increase the chances of achieving your goal.

Using SMART goal methodology allows you to clearly define the goals using these five attributes. PKB recommends that each team creates goals to help them achieve measurable benefits.

 

  • Specific (simple, sensible, significant)

  • Measurable (meaningful, measurable outcomes)

  • Achievable (agreed, achievable for your resource and skills)

  • Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based)

  • Time based (time-bound, clear end date for the goal to be achieved)

 

Examples SMART goal

Missed appointments

Reduce the number of missed appointments (DNA) for the rheumatology team by Sept 2023 (12 months post team go live) from (current missed appointments) to ( %) by sending all appointment letters and appointment details into PKB instead of by post. Current missed appointment rates are (%). 12 months post go live, the team compared missed appointments rates of patients with and without a PKB record. It is a local NHS priority to reduce missed appointments to save money.

Reviewing SMART Goals

It's important for the team to review the S.M.A.R.T goals defined at the beginning of the project regularly and in a formalised way every three months. PKB advise that the team book these sessions in advance with the PKB Success Project Manager and the Org Level Clinical engagement lead present.

Further information