Health goals are specific targets you and your healthcare team set to improve your health. They might be things like "lower blood pressure," "lose 20 pounds," or "walk without pain."

Goals help you focus your efforts, track your progress, and work with your healthcare team toward better health.

Note: Only your healthcare providers can create or update goals to ensure they're appropriate for your health condition.

 

What's in Your Goal Records

Basic information:

  • Goal description - What you're trying to achieve
  • Status - Whether it's active, completed, or on hold
  • Priority - How important this goal is (high, medium, low)
  • Progress - How well you're doing (improving, achieved, etc.)
  • Start date - When you began working on this goal

What the goal addresses:

  • Health conditions - Medical problems this goal helps with
  • Test results - Lab values or measurements you're trying to improve
  • Medications - Medicine-related goals like taking pills as prescribed
  • Risk factors - Things that could cause health problems

Results and outcomes:

  • What you've achieved - Results you've accomplished
  • Supporting data - Test results that show your progress
  • Notes - Comments about your progress and challenges

 

Common Types of Health Goals

Managing chronic conditions:

  • Keep blood sugar under control (diabetes)
  • Lower blood pressure (hypertension)
  • Manage pain levels (arthritis, back pain)
  • Control asthma symptoms

Physical health and fitness:

  • Lose or gain weight
  • Exercise regularly (walk daily, go to gym)
  • Build strength or improve balance
  • Increase endurance

Recovery and rehabilitation:

  • Recover from surgery or injury
  • Regain movement or strength
  • Return to normal activities
  • Complete physical therapy

Lifestyle changes:

  • Quit smoking
  • Eat healthier
  • Sleep better
  • Reduce stress
  • Take medications as prescribed

 

Understanding Your Goal Status

Goal status (where you are in the process):

  • Active - You're currently working on this goal
  • Completed - You've achieved the goal
  • On-hold - Temporarily paused
  • Cancelled - No longer pursuing this goal

Progress level (how you're doing):

  • Improving - Making good progress
  • In progress - Working steadily toward the goal
  • Achieved - You've reached the goal
  • No change - Progress has stalled
  • Worsening - Moving away from the goal

Priority levels:

  • High - Very important, needs immediate attention
  • Medium - Important but not urgent
  • Low - Good to work on when you have time

 

Using Your Goal Information

Track your progress:

  • Check your goal status and progress regularly
  • Celebrate when you achieve goals or make progress
  • Notice which strategies are working best
  • Identify areas where you need more support

Prepare for appointments:

  • Review your goals before healthcare visits
  • Discuss your progress with your providers
  • Ask for help with goals that aren't going well
  • Talk about adjusting goals if needed

Stay motivated:

  • Focus on high-priority goals first
  • Break big goals into smaller steps
  • Use your support network (family, friends, healthcare team)
  • Remember why these goals matter to you

Questions to ask your healthcare team:

  • "How am I doing on my goals?"
  • "What can I do to make better progress?"
  • "Should we adjust any of my goals?"
  • "What support is available to help me?"
  • "Which goal should I focus on first?"

Remember: Your health goals are designed to help you achieve better health. Working toward them, even in small steps, makes a difference.