Final answer:
Patient-centered goals should follow the SMART criteria: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Each goal is tailored to the patient's unique situation and includes a realistic timeframe for reevaluation to ensure progress can be tracked and evaluated effectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
A well-written patient-centered goal or desired patient outcome statement should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This approach sets a clear, direct path for patient care and allows for straightforward evaluation of progress. For instance, a goal might be for the patient to 'reduce blood pressure to under 140/90 mmHg within three months through a combination of diet modification and medication adherence', which is a timely and realistic expectation for someone diagnosed with hypertension.
To be Specific, the goal should state exactly what's expected by answering the core questions: Who is involved? What do you want to accomplish? Where will it occur? When will it be accomplished by? Why is it important? Making goals Measurable involves establishing criteria to measure progress, focusing on questions like "How will you know when it is accomplished?"
A goal is Achievable when all barriers can be overcome to reach it. It should be Relevant in supporting other objectives and making sense within the context of the patient's situation. Lastly, being Time-bound means setting a realistic deadline for completion, which could be a certain number of weeks, months, or a particular date for revaluations.