Table 3. Therapy goals.
| Goal category (level 1) Goal description (level 2) |
Example (as described in the patient notes from which data were collected) | Number of goals | Percentage of goals (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment | ‘assess higher level language functions’ | 59 | 3.58 |
| Review | ‘review progress made in therapy’ | 71 | 4.31 |
| Rehabilitation (improving) | 989 | 60.01 | |
| Comprehension | ‘improve auditory comprehension’ | 58 | 3.52 |
| Expressive language | ‘to produce longer/more complete verbal sentences’ | 273 | 16.57 |
| Intelligibility | ‘clearer speech’ | 15 | 0.91 |
| Money skills | ‘money handling skills’ | 14 | 0.85 |
| Number skills | ‘number recognition’ | 11 | 0.67 |
| Phonological skills | ‘phonological therapy’ | 36 | 2.18 |
| Reading | ‘identify functional written words’ | 142 | 8.62 |
| Semantic skills | ‘semantic categorisation of concrete items’ | 73 | 4.43 |
| Time | ‘following time’ | 1 | 0.06 |
| Word finding | ‘to be able to find words in conversation with more ease’ | 221 | 13.41 |
| Writing | ‘to be able to write short clear emails’ | 145 | 8.80 |
| Enabling | 284 | 17.23 | |
| AAC | ‘Functional communication using low tech AAC’ | 30 | 1.82 |
| Conversation support | ‘Supported conversation using technology’ | 100 | 6.07 |
| Participation in social conversation/activities | ‘speak more fluently with golf friends’ | 19 | 1.15 |
| Reading strategies | ‘learn new reading strategies’ | 35 | 2.12 |
| Return to work strategies | ‘return to work strategies’ | 1 | 0.06 |
| Total communication strategies | ‘alternative ways to get message across’ | 28 | 1.70 |
| Using everyday technology | ‘use of spell check’ | 40 | 2.43 |
| Word finding/self-cueing strategies | ‘functional and compensatory strategies for word finding’ | 31 | 1.88 |
| Supportive | 57 | 3.46 | |
| Emotional support | ‘exploring loss and gain’ | 9 | 0.55 |
| Improve mood | ‘to improve mood’ | 5 | 0.30 |
| Increase confidence in communicating | ‘to improve confidence in talking in group setting’ | 16 | 0.97 |
| Managing frustration | ‘frustration levels’ | 1 | 0.06 |
| Providing information | ‘to advise patient and family about impact and recovery from aphasia’ | 13 | 0.79 |
| Support communication with other professionals/form completion | ‘form filling support’ | 3 | 0.18 |
| Support for family | ‘communication support for family’ | 4 | 0.24 |
| Vocational support | ‘attend ‘fit for work’ interview’ | 6 | 0.36 |
| Activity to support therapy | 46 | 2.79 | |
| Discussing discharge | ‘discharge planning’ | 5 | 0.30 |
| Expert patient training | ‘expert patient training’ | 2 | 0.12 |
| Goal setting | ‘to set goals for occupational therapy and speech therapy’ | 20 | 1.21 |
| Handover | ‘handover to new SLT’ | 4 | 0.24 |
| Liaison with other staff/family | ‘liaison with social worker’ ‘to demonstrate laptop comprehension tasks to family’ |
5 | 0.30 |
| Preparing/monitoring homework | ‘set up home exercises’ | 3 | 0.18 |
| Therapy planning | ‘establish motivation for therapy’ | 7 | 0.42 |
| Insufficient information | 141 | 8.56 | |
| Goal not sufficiently described | ‘activity practice’, ‘to achieve 90% on tasks’ | 129 | 7.83 |
| No goal recorded | 12 | 0.73 | |
| Not communication therapy | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Grand Total | 1648 | 100.00% |