Introduction: An understanding of a person’s important life roles is fundamental to occupational therapy theory and practice. This understanding informed the development of an innovative role-based goal setting approach in an extended inpatient brain injury rehabilitation setting where impairments across several domains can limit engagement and participation in rehabilitation, including goal setting.
Objectives: This study aimed to explore the experiences and perspectives of goal setting in the practice setting for those involved where the role-based approach was used.
Methods: A series of descriptive, event focussed case studies using semi-structured interviews and within-case and across-case qualitative analysis based on a constructivist approach was used examine the identified aim.The bounded phenomenon explored in each case series was the experience of goal setting from the perspectives of patients with severe Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) (n = 8), their family members (n = 6), and rehabilitation clinicians (n = 6) who were their keyworkers.
Results: Two themes were identified which describe: (1) what is done to carry out person-centred, collaborative goal setting; and (2) the multiple mediating factors which influence person-centred goal setting practice. Subthemes revealed mediating factors related to the person, the goals, the team, significant others and the context including keyworker attributes.These factors acted as enablers and barriers and were conceptualised to be inter-related and influencing each other.
Conclusion: The findings highlight the benefits and challenges of facilitating person-centred goal setting through a shared understanding of patients’ important life roles and interdisciplinary teamwork.Key strategies to inspire enhancements in person-centred collaborative goal setting in practice are also addressed.