Management of chronic hypertension in older men: an exploration of patient goal-setting.

OBJECTIVE: Goal-setting is an approach to collaborative chronic care that involves clinicians and patients working together to set goals and to initiate and maintain specific self-care behaviors. Using patients' own perspectives, this study describes how goals for the self-management of hypertension are developed and whether or not they conform to the characteristics of effective goal-setting.
METHODS: Qualitative methodology was used to explore the process of setting self-management goals for hypertensive patients. Thirty patients participated in semi-structured interviews that ascertained the detail and specificity of self-care goals, timing and quality of feedback for setting and monitoring goals and the role of family members and caregivers in setting goals.
RESULTS: Patients understood the risks associated with hypertension, had intentions to control their disease, reported conducting at least one self-care task and set informal goals for themselves; however, these goals lacked the characteristics needed to initiate and maintain behavior change.
CONCLUSION: Patient goal-setting is underdeveloped and poorly supported in chronic hypertension care. Future studies need to examine ways to support effective goal-setting. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: As part of chronic hypertension care, health care providers should incorporate time and support for dedicated goal-setting to improve the effectiveness of self-management behaviors.