Patient Reported Outcome Measure (PROM) | Objective
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Goal Attainment Measure (GAS) and GAS Light
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Purpose
The Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) is an outcome measure involving individualised goal selection and goal scaling that is standardised in order to calculate the extent to which a child's goals are met.
Assesment Type
Patient Group
Cerebral Palsy | Musculoskeletal | Neurodisability (Other) | Neuromuscular | Other | Respiratory
Age Group
Infants (0-2 years) | Children (3-12 years) | Adolescents (13-17 years) | Young Adult (18+ years)
ICF domain
Activity & Participation | Body Structure & Function
Area of assessment
Activities of Daily Living | Balance and co-ordination | Fine Motor | Gross Motor | Joints and muscles | Pain | Quality of Life | Respiratory Function | Sensory
Key description
GAS is a method of scoring the extent to which the child's individual goals are achieved in the course of intervention.
The most important step in GAS is the setting of clearly defined priority goals for treatment that are agreed between the child / family and their therapist before starting treatment.
Goals should be SMART ( specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, and timed) so that it is the extent of achievement can be accurately rated.
At the point of evaluation, GAS is rated on a 5-point scale, ( -2 to +2) with the degree of attainment captured for each goal area:
If the child achieves the expected level, they score 0.
If they achieve a more than expected outcome this is scored at:
+1 (a little more) or
+2 (a lot more)
If they achieve a less than expected outcome this is scored at:
-1 (a little less) or
-2 (a lot less)
Goals may be weighted to take account of the relative importance of the goal to the child / family, and/or the anticipated difficulty of achieving it (rated by the therapist).
Normally 2-4 goals are identified, which are incorporated into the single composite GAS T- score, which provides an overall rating or the achievement of goals for that patients across all the goal areas.
GAS Light is a simplified version of GAS that has been developed to encourage use within routine clinical practice.
Cost
Free
Equipment required
Assessment tools (goal setting and score calculation) can be found on the Assess Child website using the View Full Measure button.
Training required
Training course recommended
Considerations & references
STRENGTHS / WEAKNESSES
- GAS is extremely flexible as goals are individualised and can be set for any area, any skills and any time frame.
- Helps focus the therapist on goals that are important to the child / family
- Child/ family may be more motivated to engage with therapy when involved in goal-setting
- The most common error is establishing goals that are not SMART
- Therapists require some experience to predict future performance and to set realistic goals
- Gas calcuation requires use of a complex formula which can be daunting for some therspists.
Further information and resources can be found on the AssessChild website.
If you spot any errors or wish to suggest any amendments to this summary, please contact paediatricmeasures@apcp.org.uk