An interactive education session and follow-up support as a strategy to improve clinicians' goal-writing skills: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Recent research indicates that allied health clinicians have difficulty articulating client needs and priorities into specific and measurable goals. As a result, a number of strategies to facilitate improvement in allied health clinicians' goal-setting skills have been recommended in the literature. In order to assist clinicians develop the skills required to set SMART goals, it is necessary that the strategies are rigorously tested.

Aim: To determine if a 50-minute education session and 3-month email and telephone support programme improves clinicians' SMART goal-writing skill and accurately predicts improved goal-writing behaviour.

Methods: Concealed random allocation of participants (n = 120) into two parallel groups: (1) intervention group received education on writing goals using the SMART Goal Evaluation Method as part of a workshop on outcome measurement and received 3 months of follow-up support (n = 60); and (2) control group attended a workshop on evidence-based practice (n = 60).

Results: Education and follow-up support improved clinicians' SMART goal-writing skills at both the 3- and 6-month review (Yates chi(2) = 4.324, d.f. = 1, P = 0.0375). Structural equation modelling revealed education and follow-up support is an accurate predictor of SMART goal-setting behaviour change at both 3 months (standardized regression weights = 0.21; P = 0.014) and 6 months (standardized regression weights = 0.19; P = 0.02) post intervention. Changes were modest and developed over a 6-month period.

Conclusion: This study provides empirical evidence that a programme of educating clinicians in a standardized method of goal setting and providing follow-up support improves allied health clinicians' SMART goal-writing skills.