SMART goals
Also written as: SMART — Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound
A widely used framework for writing rehabilitation goals that ensures each objective is clearly defined, quantifiable, realistic, clinically pertinent, and assigned a target completion date.
Full Definition
In geriatric rehabilitation documentation, SMART goals provide a structure that ensures accountability and facilitates outcome measurement across the interdisciplinary team. Some clinical settings substitute 'Attainable' for 'Achievable' and 'Realistic' or 'Results-focused' for 'Relevant', so editors should check which expansion the institution uses and apply it consistently throughout a document. The acronym is always fully capitalised. When used as a modifier, 'SMART' does not require a hyphen before 'goals'. Poorly written goals that lack a measurable outcome or timeframe are a frequent issue in clinical manuscripts and patient records submitted for editorial review.
Usage
Usage note: Confirm the institution's preferred expansion (particularly whether 'A' = Achievable or Attainable, and 'R' = Relevant or Realistic) and apply consistently. Always fully capitalise SMART.
In Context
- "All rehabilitation goals must be written to SMART criteria, with a specific timeframe noted in the patient's therapy plan." — Rehabilitation unit policy document
- "The editor noted that several stated goals lacked a timeframe, rendering them non-compliant with the SMART framework described in the document's introduction." — Clinical guideline editorial review