Quantifiable Goals

A local hospital was recently reviewed by one of those hospital accreditation agencies.  It did well-- passed with bells and whistles -- but for a few citations for psychiatry.Individual Treatment Plans (ITP)s:"Surveyors cited us for not having measurable goals in the ITPs. So, changes were made to [the electronic records system] to  clarify the requirement for objective and measurable patient goals as well as the patient’s progress toward those goals."Okay, so help me with this.  Two decades of trying to come up with acceptable, measurable goals and I'm left with the idea that therapy has a limited number of goals and they aren't that measurable:~Patient wants to feel better / Less psychic pain.~To work and to love.~No psychosis (and we measure that how?) ~To remain out of the hospital. (While measurable, I'm not sure that is acceptable to the bean counters).~To remain out of jail/prison.~Patient will resist urges to drink alcohol/shoot heroin/snort cocaine.~Fewer self-injurious behaviors. ~Living up to potential.~Acceptance of self as is, including the reality that patient may never be as beautiful/rich/smart or accomplished as he once believed he should  be.What's measurable?  Patient will have a Beck Depression Inventory score of less than 10 at every visit?Patient will report spending less than 1 hour a day on compulsive checking?Patient will lacerate himself fewer than 4 times per week and all lacerations will be less than 2 cm long and n...
Source: Shrink Rap - Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Source Type: blogs