Dear Colleagues,

With the increasing need for client-centered practice, goal-setting has gained more attention in a rehabilitation setting. The client-centered practice involves, in part, a recognition of clients as experts in their own lives and their active involvement in goal-setting and clinical decision-making. Participating in goal setting has been associated with clients having higher satisfaction with service delivery, higher motivation for therapy, and a greater sense of ownership of their rehabilitation programs. This, in turn, leads clients to have a greater sense of control over their health condition.

However, deciding how goal setting is best implemented is complicated especially in a rehabilitation setting. The rehabilitation process is involved in a multitude of professions, and there is a range of approaches.

Rehabilitation goals are unique for each individual client, even among clients of the same age and disability. Moreover, the processes by which goals are selected can be very diverse. When describing an approach to goal selection, consideration needs to be given to who is involved in selecting goals; how goals are identified and prioritized; the recommended characteristics of the actual goals; how goals are written. Although the importance of goal setting has increased, the goal-setting process remains complex and the strategies need to be further developed.

This Special Issue intends to provide an overview of the most recent advances in goal setting research and practice in a rehabilitation setting. We welcome the submission of original research articles, systematic or scoping reviews, and case studies targeting any of these core research questions.

Dr. Kounosuke Tomori
Prof. Dr. William Levack
Prof. Dr. Kayoko Takahashi
Guest Editors

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• goal-setting
• rehabilitation
• client-centered
• shared decision-making
• communication
• ICTs