Use of goal attainment scaling in brain injury in a rehabilitation hospital.

We report a study of the measurement properties of goal attainment (GA) scaling when used in the rehabilitation of brain injury patients. GA scaling is an individualized measurement technique with mathematical properties allowing for calculation of summary scores with a normal distribution. The present study examined 16 inpatients, 13 of whom had suffered a traumatic brain injury. In addition to GA scaling, standardized measures were employed to address issues such as content validity and construct validity. GA scaling change scores correlated highly (r = 0.81) with clinical judgment of efficacy and modestly with standard performance measures. A high level of inter-rater reliability was found between admission (r = 0.92) and discharge (r = 0.94) scores. GA scaling seems to be a feasible method of evaluating rehabilitation in brain injury patients, with promising measurement properties. The goals set are extremely meaningful to the patient and rehabilitation team, providing valuable feedback throughout the rehabilitation course.