Shared goals of care in New Zealand refer to a collaborative approach between people, healthcare professionals, and family/whānau, which aims to align their goals and expectations for a person's treatment and care.
Shared goals of care outline how providers should approach discussions of care with adults and their whānau. They have been designed to ensure any discussions that happen are in line with their Te Tiriti o Waitangi responsibilities. The shared goals of care principles could be applied to other demographics in the future, including children. While the principles have been developed for use in hospitals, they can be used by other health services too.
The shared goals of care approach should be used in any situation where a person requires ongoing care and treatment. Discussions should happen as early as appropriate, and can be started by the person themselves, their family/whānau or the healthcare professional.
The benefit of shared goals of care is that it promotes person-centred care. When shared goals are used to underpin clinical treatment plans, a person is at less risk of receiving unwanted or unwarranted treatments if their condition deteriorates. There is evidence that shows engaging people and whānau results in better health and care outcomes and a better experience in hospital, and also makes them feel valued and involved in their treatment.
Find out more about shared goals of care on the Advanced Care Planning website.
Updated: 13 Jul 2023